Solar is the best renewable choice

Times have changed in the energy world. Pollution has forever changed the way we think about energy. The alarming reports of climate-related events are motivating the transition to energy sources that don't pollute the earth. In the energy production world, coal, oil, and gas have been on top for a long time. But rampant air and water pollution are making renewable sources like wind, geothermal and solar energy household words. But by far, the most abundant resource is the sun. Even if we concede all energy resources are otherwise created equal, it's easy to see why the sun is such an attractive option as an energy source. But many people don't realize how all of these resources work, let alone what they are. So let's analyze each of these energy resources to give you a better idea of why the energy landscape is changing and what our future power supply is likely to look like.

Earth’s energy resources

Essentially, there are two fundamental kinds of energy resources: finite and renewable. The names are fairly self-explanatory. Finite resources are materials found in the earth in limited quantities.  This means they will soon be completely gone. These finite resources include petroleum, natural gas, coal, and uranium. Uranium is used as fuel for the most dangerous of all energy sources: nuclear power. Not only are nuclear plants extremely expensive to construct and decommission, but there are a plethora of environmental hazards associated with this moronic method of boiling water to make steam.

Renewable energy is making a huge impact

Renewable resources, on the other hand, are continually generated and won't ever be depleted.  Renewable resources include biomass, geothermal, wind, hydro and solar. Of these, solar is easily the most cost-effective. Additionally, due to constant technological innovation, prices of solar panels and other materials are falling. Now solar installation is affordable for a large number of homes and businesses.

Finite resources are almost depleted

The finite energy sources such as petroleum, natural gas, coal, etc. are highly polluting and are responsible for a large number of premature deaths all around the world. In addition, it can be very dangerous to extract these fuels out of the earth and into your home or business.  These materials are extracted from the ground either by mining or drilling and then they must go through a refining process. The newly refined material is burned in order to boil water and create steam. The steam turns turbines, which generates electricity.

Renewable resources are here to save the day! To learn more, see our blog

Renewable resources are continually generated, but they are all unique so here is a quick summary of each form of energy:

Biomass is organic material from plants, animal fats or waste that can be burned directly or converted to liquid biofuels or biogas. Burning biomass or biofuel boils water, which creates steam, which then turns turbines and produces electricity, just like the finite and toxic fossil fuels. Wood and ethanol are the most plentiful biofuels in the United States.

Geothermal energy comes from hot water below the earth's surface. The water is heated by magma, and it can be pumped directly into nearby homes for heat or into a power plant to produce electricity.

Wind doesn't utilize steam power, but still uses turbines. Wind turns huge windmills, which spins a generator to create electricity. You've likely seen these large windmills randomly in rural areas while driving out on the road. Some complain that these windmills are unsightly and some governments have prohibited them for this reason. The same complaint is sometimes made about solar panels. Some people don't like the appearance of solar panels and for these people, there are alternatives. Although currently expensive, solar roof tiles are increasing in popularity and other technologies are appearing that make using solar power a more appealing option.

Hopefully, this article makes it clear that solar and other renewables are the wave of the future.

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