Coal, oil, gas, nuclear fuel - all these traditional sources of energy have long been known to mankind and are used with varying degrees of efficiency. The search for alternative energy sources is conducted for a number of reasons. This is the saving of costs for heat and electricity, and improving the environmental situation, and the limited available energy resources.
Today we propose to study our Top-10 alternative energy sources .Not all sources will ever be widely distributed, however, some already provide energy to millions of people around the planet.
Contents:
- 10. Wind power
- 9. Biofuel
- 8. Controlled thermonuclear synthesis
- 7. Energy of the sea tides
- 6. Space energy
- 5. Heat of the human body
- 4. Geothermal power
- 3. Hydrogen energy
- 2. Energy of marineand ocean waves
- 1. Solar energy
10. Wind power
Wind turbines have been used for a long time and quite successfully in Denmark, the Netherlands, Great Britain, China and India. Denmark receives about 25% of its energy from wind power plants. According to analysts, Russia could also use wind energy, providing up to 10% of its energy needs.
9. Biofuel
Biodiesel and bioethanol can be produced from various products: wood waste, straw, biogas, vegetable oils, algae. In Russia, the main product for the production of biodiesel is rapeseed oil. In the EU countries there are more than 245 plants producing biodiesel.
8. Controlled thermonuclear synthesis
The process of obtaining heavier atomic nuclei from lighter ones can serve as a source of energy if it is controllable. In modern nuclear power engineering the reaction of decay, instead of synthesis is used. At the present time, controlled nuclear fusion is not used to generate energy in practice, since the question of the profitability and safety of such activities remains open.
7. Energy of the sea tides
On the shores of the seas, where the gravitational action of the moon causes a change in the level of water twice a day, tidal power plants( PES) are being built. Today PES operate in the UK, France, Canada, China and India. In Russia, since 1968, there has been an experimental PES on the coast of the Barents Sea.
6. Space energy
The generation of energy in photovoltaic cells carried into the Earth's orbit is considered a promising source of energy. However, some scientists argue that a large-scale implementation of such projects will lead to global warming. At present, in practice, obtaining energy in this way with the delivery of it to Earth is not carried out.
5. Heat of the human body
In Stockholm and Paris, the authorities intend to use the heat, which is allocated by the passengers of the subway car during the trip. So, in Paris, the owner of a residential building located above the metro line, has developed a project for heating 17 apartments due to the heat of the bodies of passengers.
4. Geothermal energy
Thermal sources are available in many countries. In Central America, the Philippines, Iceland they have learned to use for heating. In the same areas, geothermal power plants also operate.
3. Hydrogen Energy
Hydrogen is considered an environmentally friendly source of energy. However, for the production of hydrogen today, more energy is required than can be obtained with its use. Therefore, hydrogen has not yet become an effective source of energy.
2. Energy of sea and ocean waves
Countries with a long coastline can fully cover part of their energy needs due to the sea wave. According to analysts, the UK can thus receive up to 5% of the required electricity. To this end, it was in the United Kingdom that the Oyster wave generator was built.
1. The energy of the sun
Solar power stations operate in more than 30 countries of the world, and hundreds of thousands of households provide themselves with energy by installing solar panels. By the way, the most powerful solar power plant in the world is Perovo, located in the Crimea. The sun, perhaps, is the most popular among alternative energy sources for today.
