The 4 Various Types Of Renewable Energy

By Tim McDonald

As the world reaches its energy crisis we need to reduce our dependence on non-renewable energy sources, and start generating renewable energy on a massive scale.

To date there are four main types of renewable energy that we can produce: wind power, solar power, hydro power, and geothermic power.

Wind Energy:

For thousands of years, the power of the wind has been used to move boats, for irrigation and to grind flour. But nowadays, wind turbines have evolved into electricity generating machines.

Although many people envision windmills as those ornate ones in Holland or the small wind-pumps on farms, they have been developed tremendously in the past decade. Now wind turbines are able to generate thousands of megawatts of power, and when used on a small scale at home, wind power can substitute conventional energy sources, helping households to get off the grid.

Solar Energy:

If it were not for the sun we would not have wind, and better yet, we would not have solar energy - the most abundant renewable energy source we have. Although we should be harnessing more of it, technology has enabled us to use the sun's power in a variety of ways - solar power, solar water heating, solar cooking, passive solar design, and solar drying.

Solar water heating, solar electricity, and passive solar design are some the simplest and cost-effective ways to reduce your conventional energy use. They do not need much maintenance, and are really environmentally friendly. With solar cooking, no gas or electricity is needed, just some good sunshine. making it very popular for campers and travelers alike. Also, the food is cooked at a much lower temperature, which helps to stop vital nutrients from being lost.

Hydro Power:

Initially hydro or water power was used industrially in rivers and waterfalls to power waterwheels that would then be used to move water for irrigation or grind flour.

In modern times the power of water is mainly used in to generate hydro-electricity. This is mainly done is large dams, where water is stored and released through small channels. The force of the water through these channels is extremely strong and capable of spinning large turbines, that then generate electric power. An example would be the Hoover Dam that is used primarily to supply Las Vegas with electricity. Over 90% of our renewable energy is generated with hydro-electric dams.

There have been some social and environmental concerns about building dams for hydroelectricity since entire village and communities are flooded by the dam, and the walls prevent certain species of fish from swimming upstream to spawn.

Geothermal Energy:

It is normally in volcanic areas where you will find geothermal power being used. In places like Iceland, hot, molten lava is close to the surface, that heats large bodies of water and creates steam for geothermal electricity.

Here, large power plants are built over the geysers, where hot fast-moving steam from the geysers drives large turbines to make electricity. To speed up the process, water is sometimes pumped back into the geysers to make more steam, which is then used to drive the turbines once again, thus making it an endless cycle.

This brings us to the end of the various types of renewable energy explored. To find more in-depth information on each source, you can visit our website at DIY-Renewable-Energy dot com.

About the Author:

If you are interested in making your own Home Solar Power for under $200, reducing your power costs, while saving the environment, then get a free copy of our Earth4Energy Sneak Peek - a unique look into the top-rated diy energy guide on the market.

You like it? Share it!