Exploring renewable and non-renewable energy sources
Renewable and non-renewable energy has long been a hot topic of debate and it is something you should definitely consider asking your electrician about the next time you visit your home. While some energy sources allow us to produce large amounts of energy with relatively little effort, the fuels we use to create that energy, such as oil and gas, are not renewable. This means that we will not be able to replace them once they are gone.
Other sources of energy, such as the sun and wind, are considered renewable, which means that they have been around since the beginning of time and are not going anywhere quickly. Unfortunately, they can take more money and effort to transform into usable energy.
Unfortunately, the rate at which we are consuming the world’s non-renewable energy sources is quite alarming and government bodies around the world are getting more serious not only in finding viable alternatives, but also in making them affordable. The following are some of the energy sources that we are depleting along with some that we could be harnessing.
Coal
Almost everything we do requires some form of electrical use, from turning on appliances to lighting to cooking and running the air conditioner. Unfortunately, half of the electricity used to power the world is produced by burning coal. Coal is considered a non-renewable resource and scientists believe that if we continue at the current rate, we will run out of coal in about 200 years.
Biomass
Biomass is the term used to refer to the energy that is produced when we burn excess food crops. The steam from the fires is used to power a turbine. The turbine runs a generator and then converts the generator’s energy into electricity. Biomass is renewable but not feasible for mass energy production as we would not have enough space to grow crops for food and fuel at the same time.
Hydroelectric power
Hydropower is an incredible source of electricity. Falling water, like what you would find in a waterfall, creates what is known as kinetic energy. A mechanical process is used to take kinetic energy and transform it into electrical energy. Hydropower is considered a renewable energy source and is already used today. Some of the most popular hydroelectric power plants in the US can be found at Niagara Falls and the Hoover Dam.
Solar energy
Solar energy takes the sun’s ultraviolet rays and puts them through a series of transformation processes that convert them into usable electricity. Solar power is an incredible energy source that manufacturers have been experimenting with for use in homes and businesses.
Local power companies have been installing solar panels on telephone poles in an effort to generate additional electricity, and homeowners now have the option of installing solar panels on their roofs. These panels not only generate enough electricity to power a home and charge backup batteries, they can also produce enough additional electricity to sell to power companies for profit. It may seem worth asking your Wilmington DE electrician about the possibility of using solar power in your own home.
Wind power
Wind power is another popular energy source, which uses wind turbines to generate electrical power. While wind power is gaining popularity, very few areas are incorporating wind power production methods due to the expense associated with buying land and building the windmills needed to produce the energy needed to operate a business or supply power. to a city.
As you can see, technology is evolving and the world continues to struggle to find new ways to produce energy by renewable means. Until then, talk to your DE electrician about some of the things you can do to conserve energy, lessening your own impact on our non-renewable resources.
