Texas Electricity

   Types of Renewable Energy

Over the past fifteen years, a significant amount of research and attention has been focused on exploring and expanding sources of renewable energy. Unlike fossil fuels, such as petroleum that only have a limited world supply, sources of renewable energy hold the potential for unlimited supply and rely on natural assets, such as sunlight, wind and water to generate power.

Hydropower
One of the major types of renewable energy being harnessed today is hydropower. Hydropower pushes highly pressurized water from local rivers and lakes through pipes that pass the water flow across the blades of a turbine that is attached to a generator. When the turbine spins fast enough it produces enough energy to power the generator, which distributes the energy through transmission lines to houses, businesses, and municipal endeavors like streetlight grids and stoplights. Dams are built along waterways that feed hydropower plants to create a backup source of water should the main waterway lessen in force or the demand for energy increase. While there is some evidence to suggest harnessing waterways for energy production harms natural aquatic life, hydropower is considered still a clean alternative to petroleum production.

Tidal Power
Tidal power is a type of renewable energy that utilizes the principles of hydropower to create energy from the movements of the oceans and seas. Tides, or level of ocean water on the shores of land, rise and fall daily in response to the earth's gravitation relationship with the moon and the sun. Tidal energy generators utilize the natural rise and fall of water levels to power generator turbines under the water level as well as create sea dams that refill daily when the tide is high and allow the water to trickle back into the ocean after it passes through a turbine pipe. Tidal energy is in its fledgling stages, however significant government and corporate research is being dedicated to this renewable energy source.

Wind Power
Wind power is one of the sources of renewable energy that is showing the most promise for widespread implementation. It has been used since the 800s AD as a means to mill grain and pump water, however its electric implications have been realized only in recent years. It is harnessed through large windmills that generate energy when the blades at the top of the shaft are rotated by air currents. Windmills that produce electric power may be created to provide energy to an entire region or individual home. Harnessing wind power is currently an expensive endeavor, and its modern machinery can be visually and audibly disruptive. However, many communities throughout America are investing in windmills to augment their current power supply.

Geothermal Power
Geothermal energy is a source that is produced from the channels of naturally occurring hot water and steam that flow under the top layer of the earth's crust. The wells that release this air and water can be man-made or environmentally made. Generator turbines are attached to these wells and as the steam and water pass they rotate the turbine which powers the generator. These wells can also be tapped as direct sources of heat and hot water. While geothermal energy is very inexpensive to harness and maintain, it is fairly rare to find channels close enough to the surface they can be tapped and utilized.

Solar Power
Solar energy, or renewable energy produced by the sun, can be utilized through a wide range of applications, including home and water heating, disinfection, and electricity production. Solar rays include radiant light and heat from the sun that can be converted into energy using heat engines and photovoltaics, cells made of photodiodes that produce direct currents from solar light. Solar panels have gained popularity over the past ten years as additions to homes and offices as they help collect and store solar energy for various uses. Solar energy is an almost inexhaustible source that scientists estimate contains as much energy as all the energy ever available on earth from non-renewable sources. Solar panels and other solar technologies are not currently priced for individual ownership, however improvements are being made yearly to make solar energy accessible for all.

Nacie Carson http://www.ehow.com/about_4761998_types-renewable-energy.html

Renewable Energy

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