You’ve probably heard about the many benefits of green energy. Nowadays, sustainable resources have become a popular alternative to regular energy sources, and for a good reason. That’s why it’s important to learn about what sustainable energy is and what its many uses are. Read on if you’re wondering what is green energy, and how you can include it in your lifestyle.
What is Green Energy and How Does it Work?
Conventional energy sources, such as coal and oil, release greenhouse gases, causing a lot of damage to our planet. That’s why using green alternatives is becoming much more widespread nowadays. So, what is green energy, exactly?
Simply put, green energy is any type of energy that comes from a sustainable resource. It can come from water, wind, sunlight, and many other sources. The main benefit of green energy is that it has less of a negative impact on the environment than regular energy sources. Additionally, sustainable resources replenish themselves naturally.
How green energy works will depend on which source you’re using. Nowadays, you can choose from a variety of sustainable energy sources. Although harvesting green energy requires a unique set of advanced technology, the ways of getting it are becoming easier and more efficient every day.
Types of Green Energy
In this day and age, there are various forms of green energy available for people to use. Some are more widespread and inexpensive, while others remain on the exclusive side of the spectrum. Here are the four most common types of green energy you can choose from:
1. Wind Power
As the name suggests, wind power uses the wind to create energy. Particularly, it utilizes the strength of wind to push turbines that generate electricity. Although wind power can be quite useful, it can also be difficult to harvest. High altitude areas can reap the most benefits from green energy generated by winds. That’s because the airflow is much stronger in mountainous areas, making energy production easier.
2. Solar Power
Solar power is the most common source of green energy. The only thing you need for green solar energy is a few solar panels. These panels contain photovoltaic cells that turn sunlight into electricity. However, they’ve only recently become affordable enough for domestic use. Luckily, with the help of rapidly evolving technology, you can now reap the benefits of solar power quite easily.
Solar power is a great choice if you want to make your transition to green energy seamless. It’s easy to get the hang of how solar panels work. Additionally, you’ll end up saving a lot of money on electricity over time, meaning the panels will almost pay for themselves.
3. Geothermal Power
Geothermal power is still somewhat of an untapped green energy source. It uses thermal energy that’s stored just underneath the Earth’s crust. Although thermal energy is renewable, it’s still unclear how environmentally friendly it is. That’s because, in order to use thermal energy, we must first drill deep enough to access it. Still, it’s easy to see the benefits of this power source. For example, the energy stored under the US alone can produce ten times more electricity than all the coal in the world.
4. Hydropower
Hydropower is the first green power source known to man. In 200 BC, people were already using waterwheels. A waterwheel works similarly to hydroelectric dams. It uses water movement and transforms it into energy. Nowadays, hydropower is fairly widespread across the world. However, it’s not a great choice for domestic use, unless you live near a river, for instance.
In Conclusion
If you’re wondering what is green energy, you probably want to know why it’s so helpful, as well. Striving towards energy sources with a low carbon footprint is integral for a better future. Green energy sources are the main ways to make sure our planet doesn’t run out of resources. Additionally, they can help you save up on electricity. If you want to try green energy sources, the best time for it is right now. The future of our planet depends on it.
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