Throughout the world, many nations rely on fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas to power homes and businesses, but due to their unsustainable nature and the way they contribute to global warming, more countries are beginning to switch to cleaner, renewable energy resources.
In the US, the main sources of renewable energy are as follows:
Taking the top spot – SOLAR ENERGY
As our most powerful energy source, sunlight can be used to heat, illuminate and cool homes and businesses of all shapes and sizes. With continually evolving technology making the process even more efficient, more and more Americans are making the switch to solar, with some going off grid altogether.
Sustainable, clean and accessible to all, solar power is the hottest source of energy on the planet today!
Blowing the competition away – WIND ENERGY
For centuries throughout the world, wind energy has been used to sail ships and drive windmills, and today, wind energy is widely captured by huge turbines to generate electricity.
Washing fossil fuels away – HYDROELECTRICITY
Water is a renewable source that is constantly being recharged by the global cycle of evaporation and precipitation. A powerful force when channelled to flow downstream, water wheels are powered to drive mechanical processes, and then captured by turbines and generators to generate electricity. A small turbine can even be used to power single homes.
Waste not want not – BIOMASS ENERGY
For as far back as history goes, biomass has been an important energy source, and while wood remains the most common source of biomass energy, food crops, plants, agricultural and forestry waste and residue, and methane gas are harvested to produce electricity and fuel transportation, or manufacture products that would otherwise be dependent upon non-renewable fossil fuels.
It’s elemental my dear, Watson – HYDROGEN
As the most common element on Earth, hydrogen is found combined with other elements in nature, and once separated from them, can be used to power vehicles, replace natural gas for heating and cooking, and generate electricity.
Deep, deep down – GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
Producing steam and hot water that can be used to power generators and produce electricity (or indeed, many other applications like heating and power generation for industry), the heat inside the Earth is converted to geothermal energy, and can be drawn from deep underground reservoirs by way of drilling.
The motion of the ocean – OCEAN ENERGY
Providing a variety of forms of renewable energy, each driven by different forces, the energy from ocean waves and tides can be harnessed to generate electricity, while ocean thermal energy can also be converted to electricity. However, this is currently not a viable option on a large scale due to cost.
The easiest (and arguably the most effective) way to make your contribution to reducing the world’s dependency on fossil fuels, is to use a renewable energy source such as solar, to power your home or business.
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