It is, or should be, common knowledge that sources of electricity, gas and coal are all resources which will eventually run out. Unfortunately, these are all non-renewable sources which are heavily relied on today and actually considered vital for day to day living. We use them for many things such as heating our homes, power for every electrical product, cooking, cleaning, in fact there will not be a day which goes by that you don't use these resources. So, what happens when these resources run out? How can we manage without them? It's so handy to be able to simply flip a switch and there is light or turn a dial and you have heat. Every modern gadget is powered by one of these resources. If nothing is done soon, we will go back to what may seem like the dark ages and have to work for our power.
It is time that we started to rely on renewable resources. These can be found in abundance and will never run out. We can use them again and again and what's best is that they are all natural and free of charge! Renewable resources include: biomass, geothermal, hydrogen, hydropower, ocean solar and wind. This article will describe the basics of each power resource so that you gain a better understanding of what they are and how they work.
Solar refers to the solar energy which comes from the sun - either directly or indirectly. This type of energy can be used for many things; for example: heating homes, schools, businesses, or buildings; heating water; cooling and ventilation.
Wind helps to channel the sun's rays to Earth. If wind combines with the sun's heat, it causes evaporation. When this evaporation turns into precipitation, it produces energy which is known as hydropower.
Hydropower uses the energy found in free-flowing water and turns it into electricity. It is a very complicated process which needs complicated modern technology in order for it to work effectively.
Biomass is an actually an organic substance which is often used to produce electricity as well as transporting chemicals.
Hydrogen can be found in abundance although it is usually found mixed in with other elements. If hydrogen can be found on its own, it can be turned or turned into energy.
Geothermal searches inner earth for sources of heat and this can in turn be used for power, heating and cooking.
The oceans produce thermal energy which uses heat from the sun. It can also take advantage of mechanical energy from the tide.
Just from these basic descriptions, you should begin to see that there are many sources of alternative energy around, all of which are renewable. There are so many benefits to using renewable energy sources but we need to start taking advantage of them before it is too late.
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