Brief Explanations of Several Different Forms of Alternative Energy

If you are interested in the green energy revolution, then you probably want to learn how each of the methods of green energy work. While you can spend a lifetime learning the technical explanations and nuances of how the forms of green energy work, most people just need a general explanation of how they work so that they can visualize them. If this kind of brief explanation is what you are looking for, then you should read the following article to get the simple explanations of some of the major forms of renewable energy.



Tidal Power. Have you ever heard of such a thing? Tidal power uses the ebb and flow of the oceans in order to generate electricity. This is accomplished by constructing large structures off the coast in areas where there is significant tidal movement. These structures are composed of static portions that are based on the sea floor. There is a second moving portion that floats and moves up and down on the fixed portion. This movement, up and down, is what generates electricity. Though the structures only move up and down twice per day, the huge scale of their movement against massive current generates a lot of electricity. Though there is some controversy by people who feel this is unsightly off the coast, it may be a great way to generate green energy in the future.



You have probably heard of solar energy composed of photo voltaic panels that create electricity when photons of light strike the surface, however, solar power is being used in another more unconventional manner. Large arrays of mirrors are being placed around a giant water tower. The mirrors reflect the sun's rays to strike the water tower. When enough mirrors are reflecting light towards the water tower, the temperature of the water in the tower approaches boiling. Once the water starts to boil, the steam is used to power steam turbines. This is the same process that most coal and nuclear power plants use to drive turbines, except that the temperature is controlled not by fires or nuclear reaction, but by the focusing of sun's rays. This is a completely green energy source and may see more wide use in the future.



These unconventional sources of energy all involve some kind of turbine. Just like traditional methods, but they are deriving their initial energy input in a different manner other than fossil fuels. While they may be less scale able, these forms of energy will decrease our dependence on coal and oil.



Hopefully this article has provided you with the simple explanations you need to garner a basic understanding of the various forms of green energy. Now that you have a basic understanding, you can choose to do further research on the types of green energy that you are most interested. There are many more forms of green energy for you to explore. Good luck in your quest to understand green energy and to hopefully incorporate it in your future life.