All Types of Clean Energy
What Do You Think of When You Hear, ‘Clean Energy?’
Clean energy, also called, ‘renewable energy,’ or ‘green energy,’ is a form of energy that does not rely on fossil fuels, oil, or any type of traditional fuel source that involves mining resources from the earth. Clean energy has been utilized on and off for all of human history, but only recently has the push to use clean energy exclusively gained popularity all over the world. With a variety in the types and abilities of each form of energy, it seems that anyone would be able to suffice in their home or business by utilizing one form of clean energy or another.
Solar Panels
Solar Panels were invented in the mid-20th century, shortly after scientists realized that the sun produced such enormous amounts of energy that it could be used to create power. The first solar panels are still being used today, outliving their originally-projected life. Solar panels are made of silica sand and a few types of metal to form a durable sheet that absorbs sunlight. From the screens, solar panels transfer the absorbed energy, and transfer it to a converter in a home or business, providing electricity.
Wind Turbines
Wind-powered devices are the oldest source of clean energy. Wind pushed Vikings across the sea, wind made mills work to grind wheat into flour, and now the power of the wind can be utilized to provide electricity to homes and businesses. Wind turbines are made of the fan, which looks like a giant white pinwheel, the shaft, which is the central, rotating portion, and the generator, which is central to the production of energy. When the fan spins, the shaft spins with it, in turn powering the generator. The generator is able to create the power that turns on lights and bakes bread. Wind energy can power hundreds and hundreds of homes with a single large turbine.
Hydroelectric Power
Yet another source of energy that’s been used for most of human history, the strong currents of rivers have been used to take boats from one place to another place since boats have existed. Mills located by rivers would utilize the flow of the water by building water wheels to catch the flow, causing them to rotate, and grinding flour, helping to stoke fires, and helping people to live more easily. Today, massive dams are equipped with equipment that works similarly to both the water wheel and the wind turbine: as water flows through the dam, it spins a wheel, powering a generator that then provides power to surrounding homes and businesses.
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy is energy produced by heat from the flowing liquid rock below the surface of the earth. Natural hot springs are pools of water heated by this very energy! Today, there are two ways of harvesting geothermal energy: either water is added below the surface of the earth, powering another generator, which then provides electricity, or the energy is used raw, to provide heat to homes and businesses. Geothermal energy has an interesting drawback: depending on your energy company, geothermal energy harvested with the turbine may actually also utilize gasoline. Strange, but true. For more information, make sure to contact your local green energy provider.
