By: Matthew Hick

There are many energy sources today that are extremely limited in supply. Some of these sources include oil, natural gas, and coal. It is a matter of time before they will be exhausted.

Estimates are that they can only meet our energy demands for another fifty to seventy years. So in an effort to find alternative forms of energy, the world has turned to renewable energy sources as the solution. There are many advantages and disadvantages to this.

Renewable energy sources consist of solar, hydro, wind, geothermal, ocean and biomass. The most common advantage of each is that they are renewable and cannot be depleted. They are a clean energy, as they don't pollute the air, and they don't contribute to global warming or greenhouse effects. Since their sources are natural the cost of operations is reduced and they also require less maintenance on their plants. A common disadvantage to all is that it is difficult to produce the large quantities of electricity their counterpart the fossil fuels are able to. Since they are also new technologies, the cost of initiating them is high.

Solar energy makes use of the sun's energy. It is advantageous because the systems can fit into existing buildings and it does not affect land use. But since the area of the collectors is large, more materials are required. Solar radiation is also controlled by geography. And it is limited to daytime hours and non-cloudy days.

Wind energy uses the power of the wind to produce electricity. Although it is the largest job producer, it is reliant on strong winds. Wind turbines are large and, although you can use the area under them for farming, many consider them unattractive looking. They are also very noisy to operate. In addition, they threaten the wild bird population.

Hydroelectric energy uses water to produce power. This is the most reliable of all the renewable energy sources. On the down side, it affects ecology and causes downstream problems. The decay of vegetation along the riverbed can cause the buildup of methane. Methane is a contributing gas to greenhouse effect. Dams can also alter the natural river flow and affect wildlife. Colder, oxygen poor water can be released into the river, killing fish. And the release of water from the dam can cause flooding.

Geothermal energy uses steam from the Earth's ground to generate power. It uses smaller land areas than other power plants. They can run 24 hours per day, every day of the year. Disadvantages are that it is very site specific and, along with the heat from the Earth, it can also bring up toxic chemicals when obtaining the steam. Drilling geothermal reservoirs and finding them can be an expensive task.

Biomass electricity is produced through the energies from wood, agricultural and municipal waste. It helps save on landfill waste but transportation can be expensive and ecological diversity of land may be affected. In addition, its process needs to be made simpler.

Ocean energy is a clean and abundant energy form. It does, however, have high costs. Ocean thermal energy also requires close to a forty degree Fahrenheit difference in water temperature year round. In addition, construction and laying pipes can cause damage to the ecosystem.

There are many advantages to the use of renewable energy sources. There are also some disadvantages. The fact is energy demands will continue to increase. Through research and development, as well as, new technologies, the hope is many of the disadvantages of renewable sources of energy can be eliminated and we can successfully incorporate it into our power supplies.

Article Source: http://www.solarpanelarticles.com

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What mail do you hate the most living in a western modern world today? Chances are that you hate your monthly bills. What do hate even more? You probably hate seeing these bills getting higher each and every month. But what can you do about it; you need electricity, water, gas and heat. You would not be living a comfortable live in a western modern society without your lights, air-conditioning, TV, microwave, dishwasher and all other appliances that make your live enjoyable.

You could decide not to pay these bills, but that will not resolve the problem. You can even reduce the number of appliances used to a minimum and not heat you're your home. If you live on your own that would not be problem, but if you're a part of a family these drastic measures will not make you popular. Lucky for you there are alternatives. Today there houses available known as alternative energy homes.

These are houses that use today's technology to provide you with free electricity and heat. That doesn't sound great, it is! These homes convert power from different natural processes into electricity and heating. Alternative energy homes make use of sunlight, wind and biomass fuel to power their energy needs. Let's look at how they do this.

First let's look at solar power. Solar power can be used for heat and for electricity. To produce electricity the solar panels are placed on the roof of the house. These panels consist of photovoltaic cells that can convert sunlight directly into electricity. A modern pv cell can convert almost 80% of the sunshine into electricity. But what happens at night? The electricity that is converted during the day is stored into batteries. This allows you to use solar electricity when ever you need it, day or night.
Another step further is the use of turbines. The sun's heat is then used to turn water into steam that runs turbines. The turbines then run generators, which produce electricity for the entire alternative energy home!
To heat a home a solar panel can be installed on the roof where water is heated. The hot water is then stored in a big tank which in turn is used for a central heating system and also for hot running water.
Another way to heat your home is to use solar collectors. The heat from the sun is then stored in special collectors. These systems are very effective. Some have even shown the capability to heat alternative energy homes in the middle of winter!

Second is wind power. To use wind power a windmill-type device is installed on the house or nearby. The wind-mill powers a turbine. This turbine produces the necessary electricity. And what happens when there is no wind? Just as with solar power, the energy is stored into batteries. These batteries ensure you with enough electricity.

By converting these widely available energy sources you can save a lot of money. The only upset is that you need to invest in equipment to convert these sources into the energy needed. This can be a substantial investment. In different countries and in the US you can receive tax credits or other tax benefits to reduce the total investment. But if you think of the alternative energy home as an investment you can't go wrong. The price for your home will go up and your expenses are reduced and that's what every home owner wants, increase the market value and reduce costs. Thus, your new energy provider is the future in more ways than one.

Bryan Wong is the owner of the solar information website www.GetEasyInfo.com/Alternative Energy> – A great website that shares quality Info, News and TIPS on Alternative energy.

Article Source: solar panel articles-solar panels, solar energy, solar power, and more
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Wind Mills or Wind Turbines have been around for years, in the Old Western Days, they were used to pump water, today we use them to generate electricity. Turbines are a great addition to Solar Panels, especially if you live in a windy climate, or have cold windy winters. Solar energy and wind energy compliment each other. Combine a Wind Turbine with a set of Solar Panels and go completely off the grid and have the power company pay you

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The power of wind can be used to provide energy for people across the world, no matter where they live.

You see a sailboat gliding across the ocean pushed by its harmless wafts, you get some relief on a hot day from it's gentle breeze and a pinwheel starts spinning to a youngsters delight from it's puff of air. There are also cases of umbrellas being turned inside out, shingles being blown off rooftops and tornados causing ruins from its strong gusts. By using it to our advantage, we can turn it into a renewable source of energy, which will not cause pollution and will produce a clean energy alternative to harmful fossil fuels.

Wind energy has existed through time. Ancient peoples used it for sailing ships, grinding wheat and pumping water. Today, wind energy is the world's fastest-growing energy source and we are able to use it to produce electricity. This source of energy is a renewable resource that became popular during the oil crisis of the 70's.

Wind energy is captured through the use of wind turbine machines. There are two types that are available. The horizontal axis machine consists of propellers with three blades. It is usually around 20 stories tall and 200 feet wide. The vertical axis machine consists of blades that go from bottom to top. They are 100 feet tall and 50 feet wide. Propellers on wind turbines are large so as to capture a great volume of air. They can be angled or turned to face the wind for maximum effect.

The machines work by using the blades to hold the wind's kinetic energy. The wind turns the blade. The blade is connected to a drive shaft that turns a generator to produce electricity. Wind turbines need wind speeds over 12 miles/hour to be successful. When winds get too high the turbines are able to keep the blades from being damaged and turning too fast through the use of a brake.

Wind power plants consist of about a dozen wind turbines machines and are called wind farms. These farms are owned and operated by businessmen known as Independent Power Producers. The electricity produced on a wind farm is collected and transmitted through long distance high power lines. It is important to locate these farms in ideal areas where the most wind can be captured. This is why you will find them located in high altitudes and open areas such as hilltops, open plains and shorelines.

The advantages to wind power are many. It is a clean form of energy that is non-polluting and does not produce global warming effects. Although large, it allows for land use under the wind turbines for farming. Some disadvantages are it can have a damaging effect on the wild bird population. Also, some people consider them eyesores.

As new technologies emerge, wind power will become a more cost effective source of energy. The government currently issues tax credits for its use and there are green pricing programs available. There is also a renewed concern for the environmental damage that the uses of fossil fuels create. As we search for an alternative to fossil fuels, the answer to our energy problems may just be blowing in the wind.

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Energy Prices Could Jump By 60%

The cost of a typical family's annual energy bill could soar to £2,000 because of the volatility of the energy market and the huge investment required.

Energy regulator Ofgem, which

delivered the worrying news this morning, says investment of up to £200 billion is needed to secure supplies and meet environmental targets.

This, coupled with a potential spike in the cost of fuel on the wholesale markets (where energy firms buy power from) as the world recovers from recession, could see bills rise by more than 60% by 2016 (see the Cheap Gas & Electricity guide).

Given the average family spends £1,239, according to price comparison website uSwitch.com, such a rise would see typical bills stand at just under £2,000.

Over the past year, wholesale costs have shrunk by 50%, yet suppliers are stubbornly failing to lower household bills by similar margins (see the Energy firms refuse to cut prices MSE News story).

This is despite Ofgem calling on firms to lower bills (see the Regulator calls for prices drops MSE News story). Yet the watchdog has also received criticism for not having the teeth to enforce cuts.

Archna Luthra, MoneySavingExpert.com money analyst, says: "It's disappointing to hear this from Ofgem. 

"It's effectively giving the green light for price hikes when it should be protecting consumers' interests foremost. Instead of bowing down to suppliers it would be nice to see Ofgem bare some teeth. In the short term, at least, consumers MUST see a price cut."

A price war has recently broken out among suppliers but only on selected online tariffs, meaning the majority still pay way over the odds. Experts argue, even with those minimal drops, prices as a whole are still too high (see the Time for energy price cuts MSE News story).

Ofgem report

The watchdog says investment is needed to renew power stations, meet green targets and improve infrastructure.

It lists four possible future scenarios and the impact on our bills:

• Slow recovery from the recession, coupled with global green stimulus packages could lead to bill hikes of 14% by 2020.
• Rapid expansion in green measures coupled with strong economic growth could see consumer bills rising by 23% by 2020.
• The recession continues and wholesale gas and electricity prices remain low in the short term, reducing the incentive to build new nuclear and renewable power infrastructure. Bills would not rise steeply initially, but will increase by 22% by 2020.
• The potential 60% hike by 2016 would be caused if wholesale gas prices spiked as a result of resurgent global economies competing for energy resources and no new nuclear facility would become operational before 2020. Bills would drop back to a 25% increase on current prices by 2020.

Ofgem chief executive Alistair Buchanan says: "These are big challenges. Consumers are already enduring high energy prices.

"This is why we are consulting with consumer and environmental groups, the academic community and industry to ensure any policy proposals we make are grounded on the best evidence available.

"Early action can avoid hasty and expensive measures later."

Shadow energy secretary Greg Clark said the challenges in the energy sector came about because of Government "dithering".

"This is the characteristic over the last 12 years," he adds.

"There has been no policy, effectively. We are in the situation we are because they have had their head in the sand for 12 years."

Further reading/Key links

• Slash energy costs:
  www.moneysavingexpert.com/energy
   
• Capped tariff ending soon?
  www.moneysavingexpert.com/cappedenergy

Comment/Discuss

Discuss this MSE news story: Energy prices could jump by 60%

Our need for electricity is increasing every day, solar power is becoming a suitable alternative to burning fossil fuels. The sun is extremely powerful, if we could collect all of this energy for a single day and store it in batteries it would be able to supply everyone in the world with enough electricity to last a whole year! This gives you a good idea just how powerful the sun is and why you should consider converting your home to run on solar power.

The sun will be there for a very long time to come, and so why shouldn't people take advantage of it and start using it for energy? Solar power is completely renewable as it will never run out. Solar power is becoming more and more popular because it is continually being made more efficient. There are some important advantages that you should know about solar power before you decide whether it is right for you or not.

Benefits

Solar power is so popular because it doesn't cost any money. You do have to make an initial investment to buy the panels and get them fitted. Solar panels should last for a very long time which will mean you should pay off the cost of the investment fairly quickly. They are also environmentally friendly, burning fossil fuels releases pollution and greenhouse gasses into the environment. It's no surprise that people are adopting solar power as a result of these benefits.

Considering The Cost

You should carefully consider all of the costs involved when installing solar panels. Forget about the benefits for a second and just focus on the costs. Although the costs associated with installing solar panels are extremely high, you should consider that it's actually like you are paying up front for a number of year's electricity. Once you have paid for the installation cost you won't have to spend any more money for quite some time to come.

However you must remember that you will still need to use an electricity company to supply you with electricity at night. Another thing that you can consider is selling your power back to the grid if you make more power than you use, this causes your meter to spin backwards which can offset the electricity which you use.

Our demand for electricity increases every year, the problem with this is that to keep up with demand more fossil fuels are being burnt. When fossil fuels are burnt they release pollution into the air. This damages our planet, and puts it under more pressure. Solar power is becoming cheaper and more affordable every day, not only this but it is also becoming much more efficient. As it becomes even cheaper more and more people will start to convert their homes to run on solar power.

Ray Walberg wrote especially for http://www.insidewoodworking.com , an online site covering information on automatic drywall taping tools and drywall taping tips. You can learn about his articles on how to do drywall taping over at http://www.insidewoodworking.com .

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 Years ago perpetual energy magnet motors were all but a dream, but now they are finally becoming a reality. Just like solar panels turn the light/energy from the sun into electricity these perpetual energy magnets turns magnetic energy into electricity. The difference between the 2 are obvious solar panels convert sunlight into energy, while the magnet motor converts magnetic energy into electricity. The most unique thing about the perpetual magnet motor is it will run by itself forever, producing 5 times more energy than it consumes without ever stopping Check out our the rest of our site at www.divorceyourpowercompany.com

or

 Do you think this is a viable energy solution? When available, would you get one for your home?