Habitat for Health | Resources

There are many alternative electricity sources particularly as the effect of burning fossil fuels damages the environment. Currently in the US about 50% of all electricity is from coal, 20% from nuclear power, 18% from natural gas, 6.5% from hydroelectric, 3 from petroleum and the rest about 2.3% from renewable energy sources. In all about 8% of all electricity is from renewable energy sources such as geothermal power, biomass, solar energy and wind power.

Electricity is based around keeping a copper wire spinning between two magnets. The charge is what keeps the wire in motion and the copper wire is called the conductor. There are many ways to generate electricity you can but two magnets in salt water and the salt will act like a conductor, you can shine light on a conduct and that heat will be turned into energy or you can actually touch the two conductors directly and send a stream of electricity.

The most effective alternative energy source would be electricity produced from wind power. Currently wind power only produces a small amount of the world’s electricity. It is the cleanest and most environmentally friendly form of electrical generation and the wind blows enough that the entire United States could run on wind power alone if the collection system was in place.

The collection of solar energy or photovoltaic’s is another alternative electricity source. Solar energy is perhaps the most widely known source of renewable energy and research into solar production has grown steadily over the past decade. Home solar units can be installed to power your home and then any excess collected energy is then pumped back into the electricity grid.

Most solar energy users have found that after the equipment is installed they rarely, if ever, need to pay for electricity again. Unfortunately unlike in movies large-scale solar electricity conversion has proven to be very impractical. Similarly, start-up costs can be very high and most howmeowners may balk at the costs involved. However, there are a few government incentives available to assist with alternative energy conversions.

Hydropower utilizes water pressure as it comes over a dam. Gravity and falling water turn turbines, which in turn generate electricity. The most famous example of hydroelectric power is at Niagara Falls and the famous blackout. You can use small micro-hydro generators if you have a small stream on or near your property.

A substitute to running generators on petroleum of other fossil fuels is to use biodiesel. Biodiesel is a fuel that is made from animal fats and vegetable oil. Biodiesel has been around for over 100 years, since 1895, but it has not been a popular form of fuel. Currently many tankers and trucks run on biodiesel though any vehicle can be converted to running on biodiesel.