Habitat for Health | Resources

Alternative electricity generation is the wave of the future and will be very important for providing electricity years to come. Specifically the focus has moved from burning fossil fuels to using renewable energy sources. Burning gas, coal, and petroleum currently produces the vast majority of all electricity generation. Some renewable energy sources include hydropower, solar energy, biomass and wind power. There is a lot of research being applied to renewable energy sources.

The three main reasons to using alternative electricity generation come down to supply and demand and effects on the environment. Fossil fuels do not magically regenerate and will one day run out. This finite resource will also become more expensive as the supply dwindles but the demand remains the same. The majority of all alternative electricity generation focuses on using renewable energy that will not run out one day. Finally all renewable electricity sources are ‘green’ energy and do not pollute the environment.

The use of slow moving ocean currents has successfully generated electricity. This type of electricity generation cannot supply the planets needs but it can supply over 15 billion people by accessing just 0.1% of the ocean’s currents. The vibrations that occur in the water are transformed into energy, which can then produce electricity. These vibrations can be due to gravity, fish swimming or wind at the surface of the ocean.

Research into solar cells is going much further than before. Solar energy is a great source of alternative electricity generation. Groups at MIT have designed a solar cell that is 50% more efficient then any that are currently available on the market. Most solar cells are expensive due to the usage of silicon but the new cell only uses 1% of refined silicon.

Turning waste into electricity is also a great alternative electricity generation method and has been used for over 100 years. However this method is not widely used though the world certainly produces enough trash to generate a sufficient amount of electricity. Eliminating waste helps the environment and can also tap into electricity supply. This is a great combination that should be used more then it is, especially since garbage is being frequently dumped into the ocean.

Burning trash might appear to be an inexpensive approach for alternative energy generation, but the viability of this choice has yet to be determined. The risk of producing toxic fumes or contributing more carbon emissions presently overshadows any benefit to the reduction of municipal landfills.

Wind power and solar energy are really the best forms of renewable energy as the sun shines whether it is cloudy or not and wind power is the most efficient form of renewable energy. With the energy challenges to face in the future researchers are investigating electricity generation from the pH difference between soil and trees, cyanobacteria and wind current to name but a few research projects.