Saturday, 18 July 2009

Realize How To Utilize Renewable Energy Through This Power Crisis

By Gary Greenman

Most people are more than a little conscious of the power crisis that we`re facing at the moment. The thought of wind and solar power has surely been around for a long time and some individuals have even made use of it on a quite small scale. However, it may just be time to begin thinking big with these renewable forms of energy.

Turning to Renewable Energy Sources

Even if we continue to use fossil fuels, there are so many downsides to this. While it`s anticipated that we still have some time left on the existing fuels, they will ultimately run out. They are a finite resource that we`ll surely use up. At the moment, we are accessing the easiest sources, but soon, more work will be required to get to the other areas that can supply us with this type of fuel.

In addition, fossil fuels are a chief issue in the current state of the ecosystem. Whether or not you believe in global warming, there is definitely an effect on the planet from the huge amount of pollutants being created by energy consumption around the planet.

There is also the economic factor to think about. Everyone was recently surprised with just how high gas prices went around the globe. While they have stabilized a little, the cost of electricity can only go up as fossil fuels become scarcer. All this leads to the perks of wind and solar electrcity, both outstanding renewable energy sources that could well end the electricity crisis.

Why Wind AND Solar Power?

Quite simply, it`s pretty hard to get the amount of power needed from just one type of collector. For instance, if we use only solar panels . . . what happens when we have an extended cloudy period? And likewise, if using only wind, what happens when it dies down? It`s always good to have backup systems in place and wind and solar power work very well together.

At the moment, wind power in the United States provides enough electricity to power approximately 2 million homes. Studies have shown that it`s more than possible to provide for the power needs of the entire nation using just wind electrcity, which is also the most efficient and easily used alternative electrcity source.

Solar energy is very helpful, but it is also still fairly expensive to install solar panels. While this will likely drop as the exploration and knowledge get better, for the moment, it`s cost prohibitive (and space prohibitive!) to use solar panels to provide the entire nation with energy. Nevertheless, many areas are doing very well with solar power, chiefly those in the sunnier parts of the country and with the mixture of solar and wind, you can see that there is an alternative to the petroleum products at present being used.

Harnessing the Energy

More and more individuals are opting to add solar panels to their houses, saving on power bills and lowering their overall energy consumption rate. Nevertheless, in order to really make a dent in the power crisis, we`ll need more than just individuals working on the problem. With cooperation, it`s probable for entire towns and even cities to run entirely on renewable energy sources, like those we`ve been discussing here. Envision the impact this could have on the ecosystem, as well as our everyday lives.

Solar and wind power are the future of energy sources. Together, they provide the opportunity that we need to escape from the ever rising cost of fossil fuels and give us a cleaner, safer and cheaper electricity.

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