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Without a doubt, two of the biggest renewable energy sources to try and sort out environmental issues are wind turbines and solar panels. In this article, we will explore why wind turbines and solar panels are increasingly valuable to the world, and why using the two methods below could be one of the most decisive moves that the world has ever made.
Renewable energy is becoming more and more valuable as every day passes. For those of you that do not know what renewable energy is, it is energy that comes from natural sources like the sun and wind. This energy is then converted into everyday energy use.
Wind turbines
A wind turbine is a device that takes energy from the wind. The primary purpose of a wind turbine is to take energy from the wind and turn it into electrical power.
Wind turbines unsurprisingly have evolved throughout the years. They have been in use since the early 12th century, mostly in the Netherlands. Of course, you will know these old-style wind turbines as windmills.
Wind turbines are strategically placed to deliver the best results. It does not make any sense to put a wind turbine in an area where there is no wind, so a significant amount of research is always carried out before deciding where to place the turbines.
The majority of new wind turbines are three-pronged and controlled by a computer motor. Many argue that they are an eyesore because they can stand at up to 300 ft tall, and have a width of around 130 ft long. Generally, (but not in all cases) they are found off of the counties coast, as this is where the most wind is found; however, they are still visible from coastlines.
Of course, these are not the only wind generators; there are much smaller ones available for personal use, usually found on top of caravans or boats.
The reason why wind turbines are so popular is because they admit no fuel or cause any air pollution whatsoever. When building wind turbines, all the construction and transport is carried out in an energy-sufficient method. In argument to their expense, a recent study has shown that the cost of wind turbines in terms of construction is made back in the amount of energy they generate within 3-5 months.
Solar panels
There are two types of solar panels, solar electricity panels and solar hot water panels. Solar electricity panels provide electricity and solar hot water panels provide hot water.
Solar panels are becoming more and more popular around the world. Solar panels use light energy to generate electricity through the photovoltaic effect. Complex generators (used in solar panel plants) use solar heat to generate electricity by heating water, this then produces stream and drives a turbine which is then connected to an electrical generator.
Solar panels are becoming more common on personal and business properties. Governments are bucking their ideas up with environmental issues; and some companies are even offering to solar panel your house for free, as long as you give your space to them. It is estimated that if you did not get any deductions on a regular-sized house then you would make your money back in 20-30 years, however, the initial investment is much more than many people can afford.
The stark fact is that you will save energy, and eventually money by converting your energy to solar power. It is a little-known fact that if you generate more energy than you use, then your energy company will pay you for the excess energy that you have generated.
Unfortunately, solar panels do come with some negatives. Firstly, as discussed before they are expensive to install. Also, many forget to think about the rather obvious fact, what happens if you go without sun for a few days? All of a sudden you do not have any energy power. Then there is the question of how they will appear on your home. Solar panels situated on your home can appear rather ugly. You need to make sure you answer all of these questions before you even think about the installation of solar panels on your personal property or business.
As the two energy resources above are increasing on a daily basis, we soon find that non-renewable energies will decrease, but because the Earth is dependent on so many fossils fuels this change will happen gradually, even though ideally at some point all of the Earth’s resources will be run on renewable energies. Ensuring this change happens smoothly and quickly will allow for a happier period of time in the not-so-distant future. For this change to happen, governments and leading businesses need to make sure they make the relevant changes, then this will filter through to both small businesses and personal properties.
If you want to find out about Canada’s heatwave, check out our article on this topic: Canada heatwave: a global challenge.
[Photo from Pixabay]
