Thanks to our friend Big Green Web for this wonderful explanation of green electricity and the way it can be delivered through hydroelectricity, geothermal, solar, and wind power. This will give you a nice brief explanation of these green ways to deliver electricity to the masses.
Green Electricity – A Guide For Beginners
By: BigGreenWebGreen electricity can be delivered in a number of ways. First, let’s take a look at one of the most widely used sources of green electricity in the world.
Hydroelectricity has an advantage over many kinds of green electricity for being the longest-running source of green electricity. There are hydroelectric plants around the world that have been operating for more than 100 years. Hydroelectric power is currently experiencing a resurgence of growth in areas of the world like Asia, with China currently taking the lead in development.
Hydroelectricity is the conversion of water energy into electricity. In the simplest of terms, hydroelectricity works by utilizing the gravitational flow of water to meet and turn turbine blades. The turbine drives a rotor in a generator that produces electricity. Many hydroelectric plants are associated in the public mind with huge hydroelectric dams, although plants using straight river flow also generate hydroelectricity. Hydroelectric power is commonly believed to be one of the cleanest methods of producing green electricity.
Geothermal power is another source used to generate green electricity. Geothermal power uses the natural heat from below the planet’s surface to create and capture steam. There are several ways of achieving this. One is to simply pipe out the natural steam from under the earth’s surface and use it to run steam generators that generate electrical power in much the same way as hydroelectric generators. Another process is to run water through pipes under hot magma rock. The magma super heats the water in the pipes into steam and the steam is used to drive electric generators.
The most widely subscribed source of green electricity is solar power. In using solar power, photons are collected by the sun. The photons generate DC electricity. In most solar energy systems, the DC electricity is converted into AC electricity through the use of a device called an inverter. The electricity generated through solar energy can be stored in batteries. In residential applications there are usually two kinds of solar power options available. One is called bill reduction, and is used to supply electricity back to your grid. Your electric company then discounts your bill according to how much electricity you generate with your solar panels. The other residential option is blackout protection, wherein your green electricity is stored in batteries and used in case of a power failure.
Another kind of green electricity is produced by wind power. Wind is air in motion created by the sun’s uneven heating of the earth. Wind turbines use blades to collect the energy of the wind. Similar to hydroelectric power and geothermal energy, the wind is used to turn a rotor that drives an electric generator.
Green electricity is constantly evolving and there are other ways of generating electrical power from green sources. One of these is wave technology, in which the ocean is used as a source of electrical power generation.
Certainly, green electricity is the trend of the future, as more and more consumers are turning away from the environmentally degrading use of fossil fuels to clean energy driven electricity.
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Article Courtesy of Green Living Article Directory
