Alternative energy is the name given to a number of different sources of energy, which provide alternative energy sources from fossil fuels and nuclear power. Given the current global situation with climate changes and the peak oil crisis looming there are a lot of buzz words being thrown around surrounding alternative energy and it can be hard to work out what they all mean.
Although the two phrases are often used interchangeably, alternative energy and renewable energy are different things. The difference between them is that alternative energy always has a low environmental impact, whereas renewable energy is energy that comes from a renewable source. The definition of renewable energy does not state that it has a low environmental impact and renewable energy could therefore have a detrimental effect on the environment.
The main types of alternative energy are: solar power, wind power, biomass, hydroelectric power such as wave and tidal power, and compressed natural gas. Solar power is energy captured from the sun and converted into electricity by the use of photovoltaic cells. Wind power is energy converted from the wind captured on wind farms by wind turbines. You can get domestic wind turbines for your home if you are interested in this form of alternative energy production.
Biomass has recently been in the press a lot due to oil crisis and so people are looking into biomass fuels for running their cars. Biomass is the name given to energy derived from sources that were once living e.g. plants.
Wave and tidal power are both different forms of alternative energy which are also often confused. Wave power collects the energy from surface waves whereas tidal power converts the energy of the tides into electricity. Hydroelectricity is the name given to electricity which is produced through the means of hydropower – capturing the force of moving water. Compressed natural gas is another substitute for petrol and diesel.
As the search for viable alternatives to fossil fuels and nuclear power continues, both alternative energy sources and renewable energy sources continue to be researched. If you are looking for ways that you can implement alternative energy at home then solar energy is a good place to start. You can have photovoltaic cells put on your roof to provide a solar powered heating and lighting system in your home.
You can also compost your ‘green’ rubbish such as vegetable peelings or grass cuttings from the garden. You can also buy a machine that will help you to make logs from old newspapers for heating your house, and change your light bulbs to low energy bulbs when they run out.
Also by making an effort not to leave electrical items on standby and to turn lights off when leaving a room you can also make a difference to your electricity bill and to the environment. By not leaving mobile phone chargers and other electrical items plugged in and turned on when they are not being used you will save energy – and therefore money.
There are also many small household gadgets that can be run on solar power if you want to increase the amount of alternative energy you use in your home, such as solar powered lights for your garden.
