Joshua Vadney asked:
Energy issues are so high-sounding nowadays. Although in Physics, energy is one quantity that is conserved and by conserved we mean that the “sum of all energies in the universe remains constant,” it is not the case with our daily lives. We are being told over and over again to conserve energy. This time, the term conserved here means another thing; it means “preserve”. We have to save energy or the sources of energy, so they say. Well, if the energy of the universe remains constant, then where did the rest of the energy go? In layman’s terms, most of the useful energy in the universe has now been transformed into not-so-useful energy. Not-so-useful energy example is thermal energy, which explains global warming. So in one way or another, it is right to say that we should conserve energy. One way to do that is to make use of the most abundant energy sources like the sun and the wind or by combining solar and wind power.
Combining solar and wind power is getting popular nowadays. Scientists and engineers see this as the future power source of the future. So while these energy sources are overflowing without anyone using it, why not make use of them now?
First, what is solar power? Solar power from the word solar, which means sun simply means power from the sun! The sun, which is the source of energy of everything here on earth, is one answer to energy problems. How does solar power work? Solar power is collected by solar power panels. This collected energy is then stored in a generator. Next time you need to use power, you can use it in a regular way.
The same goes for wind power. Wind power converts energy from the wind into other forms of energy like electricity by the use of turbines. Although wind power produces only about 1.5% of worldwide electricity production, it has been gaining a lot of popularity. In fact, between the years 2005 to 2008 the use of wind power has doubled.
These two abundant sources are also renewable and environment friendly. While getting all the energy needed to run your household appliances, you don’t have to worry about all the disadvantages they give to mother earth. These energy sources are clean, abundant, and renewable. Combining solar and wind power therefore, is very safe.
As the use of these two sources of energy gets popular day after day, you might be wondering who can use it or if you can use it. Anybody who can feel the heat of the sun above them and feel the gust of wind on their cheeks can use them, as in anybody here on earth. If you are living in a place where you can see the sun all day long, all throughout the year it is best to use solar power in your place. If you happen to live in North Carolina or somewhere really windy, you can utilize wind power. Or if these two sources are both abundant in your place, combining solar and wind power is best.
Only an infinitesimal amount of energy from the sun and wind are being used nowadays. Why not learn more about this? By combining solar and wind power, let us save energy today.
