Renewable Energy
Sources
 We are all affected by ever increasing oil
and gas prices as these resources are non-renewable and
getting scarcer and harder to explore. Therefore,
exploring renewable energy sources is not just a matter of
saving costs, but also a matter of securing future energy
supply. Most people are now realizing that our dependency
on primarily oil and gas is a disaster waiting to happen
as these resources will eventually run out.
Most experts believe now that the supply of
oil will be depleted in less than 40 years and gas shortly
after that. It is obvious that finding alternative sources of
energy must be one of the highest priorities so the
infrastructures and mechanisms to use these new energy sources
are installed before current energy sources run dry.
Click
here if you want to create your Electricity from Renewable
Energy Sources
What are
Renewable Energy Sources?
As the name suggests, renewable energy is an
energy source that is generated from natural resources which
are renewable and naturally replenished. The two most accepted
examples of natural and renewable energy are wind and solar
power. Tidal and geothermal powers are further examples of
renewable energy sources. There are other alternatives to
fossil fuels such as bio-fuels, or even nuclear power although
both of these can have very undesirable side affects and be
harmful to both people and the environment.
What are the differences between alternative
and renewable energy sources?
Many people use the terms ‘alternative
energy’ and ‘renewable energy’ interchangeably, but there can
be large differences between alternative and renewable energy
sources.
As renewable energy is naturally provided
energy, which is clean and (almost) always available, like
solar, wind, geothermal or tidal power, alternative energy
might just be an alternative from the standard fossil fuels,
like nuclear energy or bio-fuel. Both of these alternative
energy sources are not as environmentally friendly as some
people try to make them out to be, with nuclear energy creation
leaving mountains of radioactive waste behind and the
production of bio-fuels can have a negative impact on food
production and food prices, which usually affects people living
in poorer nations.
Why do we
depend so much on fossil fuels?
Most countries’ infrastructure is geared
towards the use of oil and gas and a lot of money and resources
are invested in the production and utilisation of these
non-renewable energy sources.
Despite the threat of peak oil and ever more
stringent emission laws and restrictions imposed on the car
industry, the vast majority of cars today are still powered by
traditional petroleum fuels. Many communities have invested
heavily in providing domestic households with connections to
natural gas for heating and cooking, especially in Europe. No
wonder we are so dependent on non-renewable fossil fuels and
with limited incentives from Governments to research and
utilise renewable energy sources, not enough has been done so
far – although renewable energy has been around for a very long
time. The current energy crisis and threat of peak oil might
change the attitude and approach towards renewable sources of
energy for the better.
A more practical reason for renewable energy
sources like wind and power not having been utilised as much in
the past is that the energy produced by these energy sources
can not as easily be stored, like oil and gas can.
If, for example, you are using solar energy
to power your home and the sun does not shine for a number of
days you may end up sitting in the dark. You face a similar
problem with wind energy – what if there is no wind for several
days? This, together with the fact that it usually is much more
expensive to produce energy from wind or solar power has been
an obstacle in the past to promote the wider use of these
alternative forms of energy.
 But the tide is turning and there are many
organisations and individuals today exploring renewable
energy sources, how to harness these powers and to utilise
them more widely in the future.
Build your own power plant at home
using renewable energy sources.
Click
here if you want to create your Electricity from Renewable
Energy Sources
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