Energy is an inevitable requirement
where we want development to take place. Many naturally occurring
phenomenons contribute to producing this energy without damaging the
environment. They are called renewable energy sources and they help to
avoid pollution; both in urban and inaccessible locations on large and
small scales. They form a sort of cycle without the deduction of any resource to generate the energy.
10. Tidal Power
The tidal power is not a very popular
energy source, but has immense potential of becoming one in the near
future. Tidal stream generators and barrage generation make use of tidal
power. It is Eco-friendly and does not harm the environment at all. It
follows the same principle as wind turbines, but instead of air, the
generators rotate in water. Unlike wind and solar energy, tides can be
predicted. Since time immemorial, tide mills have been driven directly
from the relative motions of the Earth–Moon system and to a lesser
extent from the Earth–Sun system. Lunar Energy, a British company was
the first to establish a tidal farm in the coast of Pembrokshire in
Wales, providing electricity to thousands of houses.
9. Wave Power
Predicting the direction of ocean and
wave is a very difficult job, but is not impossible. Wave power is the
transport of energy by ocean surface waves, and the capture of that
energy for pumping or desalinating water and generating electricity. In
Europe, wave farms have been introduced, using floating Pelamis Wave
Energy converters. They use a floating buoyed device and generate energy
through a snaking motion, or by mechanical movement from the wave’s
peaks and troughs. Wave power is not the same as the diurnal flux of
tidal power and the steady gyre of ocean currents, although it is
confused to be so often. We have been pursuing this technology since
1890 and the world’s first commercial wave farm is based in Portugal, at
the Aguçadora Wave Park, which consists of three 750 kilowatt Pelamis
devices.
8. Solar Power
Producing electricity by making use of
the sun’s energy and the photovoltaic (PV) cells is called the Solar
Technology. Solar cells are becoming more efficient, transportable and
even flexible, allowing for easy installation. Let it be a calculator
powered by a single solar cell or off-grid homes powered by photovoltaic
disarray; PV can power applications of all sizes. The 1973 oil crisis
stimulated a rapid rise in the production of PV during the 1970s and
early 1980s. Steadily falling oil prices during the early 1980s,
however, led to a reduction in funding for photovoltaic R&D and a
discontinuation of the tax credits associated with the Energy Tax Act of
1978. These factors moderated growth to approximately 15% per year from
1984 through 1996. Since the mid-1990s, leadership in the PV sector has
shifted from the US to Japan and Germany.
7. Wind Power
Wind farms installed on agricultural
land or grazing areas, have one of the lowest environmental impacts of
all energy sources. Wind turbines are used to convert wind energy into
electrical or mechanical energy. Wind energy has historically been used
directly to propel sailing ships or converted into mechanical energy for
pumping water or grinding grain, but the principal application of wind
power today is the generation of electricity. Spain, Portugal, Germany,
Ireland; Europe is leading the world in the production of offshore wind
power. United States and China’s priority was on land wind resources
where construction costs are lower but transmission costs are less where
population centers along coastlines are near offshore wind sources.
6. Hydroelectricity
This is the most widely used form of
renewable energy. The gravitation force of falling water is the key
point in hydroelectricity generation. In remote areas, small scale hydro
plants are installed in rivers and streams with little effect to the
fish or environment.
Instead of dams to diverge the water, water wheels generate energy for
specific industrial purposes. Dedicated hydroelectric projects are often
built to provide the substantial amounts of electricity needed for
aluminium electrolytic plants, for example. In Suriname, the Brokopondo
Reservoir was constructed to provide electricity for the Alcoa aluminium
industry. New Zealand’s Manapouri Power Station was constructed to
supply electricity to the aluminium smelter at Tiwai Point.
5. Radiant Energy
99% of the cost of normal electricity
can be saved by the use of radiant energy. It performs the same
functions, but does not possess behavior identical to electricity. The
Methernitha Community in Switzerland currently has 5 or 6 working models
of fuel less, self-running devices that tap this energy. Nikola Tesla’s
magnifying transmitter, T. Henry Moray’s radiant energy device, Edwin
Gray’s EMA motor, and Paul Baumann’s Testatika machine all run on
radiant energy. Fractionation is a method of collecting natural energy
from surroundings or extracting it from electricity. Nikola Tesla built
one of the earliest wireless telephones to be based on radiant energy.
The resonances of the transmitters and receivers of the device were
tuned to the same frequency, allowing them to communicate.
4. Geothermal Power
Geothermal power extracts earthly energy
through natural processes providing heat to either a single residential
unit or producing energy through a geothermal power plant. Its cost
effectiveness, reliability, and environmental friendliness has no longer
limited it to areas near tectonic plate boundaries. Home heating has
encouraged the range and size of viable resources to expand
considerably. The largest group of geothermal power plants in the world
is located at The Geysers, a geothermal field in California, United
States. Most of the cost of electrical plants goes to drilling since it
does not require any fuel. At present 24 countries are making use of
this technology and potential sites are into consideration.
3. Biomass
Living and recently dead biological material
that can be used as fuel or for industrial production can be classified
as biomass. Dead trees, branches, yard clippings, woodchips bio-fuel,
biodegradable wastes, many types of plants including miscanthus, switch
grass, hemp, corn, poplar, willow, sorghum, sugarcane, and a variety of
tree species, ranging from eucalyptus to oil palm (palm oil), all come
under the flag of biomass. The type of plant affects the process,
although the end products are pretty much the same. This industry is
growing, reducing the reliance on oil by more than one million barrels
per year, and by recycling sugar cane and wood waste, preserves landfill
space in urban communities. 0.5 percent of the U.S. electricity supply
comes from biomass power generating establishments.
2. Compressed Natural Gas
If you need fossil fuel replacement for
gasoline, diesel, or propane, Compressed Natural Gas is the solution for
you. It is cleaner and safer to use as it diffuses easily into the
surroundings if leaked. However, burning it does release a few
greenhouse gases in the air. CNG is used in traditional gasoline
internal combustion engine cars that have been converted into bi-fuel
vehicles (gasoline/CNG). These are becoming widely known in Europe and
South America due to increasing gasoline costs. Light-duty passenger vehicles
and pickup trucks, medium-duty delivery trucks, transit and school
buses, and trains are also making use of CNG as a result of high fuel
prices and environmental concerns.
1. Nuclear Power
Nuclear fission is used to extract
usable energy from atomic nuclei via controlled nuclear reactions.
Utility scale reactors are use to produce steam which is then converted
into mechanical work for the purpose of generating electricity or
propulsion. Some say that Nuclear power reduces carbon emissions and
increases energy security by decreasing dependence on foreign oil while
others argue that nuclear power is a potentially dangerous energy
source. Much debate is going on about its usage although in 2007 14% of
the world’s electricity came from nuclear power; US, France and Japan
playing a major role in this. France reprocesses its nuclear waste to
reduce its mass and make more energy. Reprocessing can potentially
recover up to 95% of the remaining uranium and plutonium in spent
nuclear fuel, putting it into new mixed oxide fuel.
Follow our updates
| Follow @GNewspaper |
