subject: What are the advantages of Renewable Sources of Energy? [print this page] What are the advantages of Renewable Sources of Energy?
Statistics have shown that the United States is still heavily dependent on traditional power sources. The US still bets over 90% of its electricity from sources such as nuclear power and coal plants. Unfortunately, coal-burning power plants are the country's largest emitter of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is the greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere and results in global warming.
Coal also contributes to health problems such as asthma and a variety of lung problems. In short, traditional forms of power are damaging to the environment and we need to find new solutions. However, the tide is changing. The federal government expects a decrease in the use of coal power when our use of renewable energy sources increases from 10% right now to 20% of our electricity in 2020.
The technologies are available for individual households to install home-based units for numerous renewable energies that could significantly reduce the amount of fossil fuel energy that is consumed. The problem is that it requires the efforts of individual people and families. Solar energy may be the best renewable source of energy. It has been stated that if we could perfectly capture just one percent of the solar energy that enters our atmosphere, that we would be able to power the entire planet for years to come. It is a renewable energy that has a ton of potential.
Solar energy is also very encouraging because of the developments that have been made in the consumer markets. The technology is readily available for households to install solar energy home systems that allow the household to completely eliminate their energy bill. And some houses with larger and more efficient systems have been able to capture enough energy to actually sell it back to the power companies and use the money to pay off their houses.
But solar installations can be expensive whichis why it is best to start small and cost efficient. Wind power is actually cheaper relative to the average solar installation. Many households are now using Do-It-Yourself Windfarms and powering their entire homes, farms, and ranches with only the wind power. The only downside to using wind power is that wind is inconsistent. Thus, wind installations work the best in locations that are consistently windy. Certain European countries actually use wind farms to power entire portions of their communities.
A renewable source of energy that does not get a lot of attention in the media is geothermal energy. There is actually a great deal of energy that radiates up through the earth and it can be converted to electricity if the heat is captured correctly. Deep down in the earth, temperatures can approach an astonishing 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit. There are actually home units for geothermal energy as well. They are called geothermal heat pumps and they can be used to both heat and cool a home. Especially on the heels of the BP oil spill, the dependence on old fossil fuels must end. It should be obvious to us all that this will simply destroy our earth. We must absolutely harness the natural renewable sources of energy before it is too late.
