One of mans greatest discoveries was discovered by Benjamin Franklin when he flew a kite during a storm with a metal key attached close to the kite. From that point on man began to find ways to produce electricity and in time we found ways to produce it in larger amounts. We first started to use non-renewable energy sources to produce electricity such as fossil fuel, natural gas, water and as time progressed with the discovery of uranium, nuclear fission. Also, in time we learned to use renewable energy sources like the sun and the wind.



So exactly how is electricity produced?

Basically electricity is produced by generators much like the alternator in your car that keeps your battery charged. The difference being that your alternator is very small in comparison to the huge generators used to produce the electrical power you use in your home. Your alternator is turned by fan belts connected to your engine so when your engine is running the alternator is turning producing electricity to charge your battery and supply the autos electrical needs. To turn a generator to produce your home electricity they use turbines, think of a turbine as a huge fan, when you push air, water, or steam through the blades they begin to turn. Now connect the generator to the fan and when the fan turns it turns the generator thus producing electrical power.

Now let us look at some of the renewable energy sources and non-renewable energy sources we have to turn a turbine and the differences between them. You will see that renewable energy sources are much better for the environment.

Non-renewable energy sources:

~ Fossil fuel- basically crude oil, coal, and natural gas are all used to heat water to the boiling point in what is called a boiler, the water turns to steam then the steam is pumped through the turbine which causes it to turn. We have used fossil fuel for a long time the draw backs are, they pollute the air and the supply is limited.

~ Water- We all know what dams are, they obstruct the flow of rivers to create larger bodies of water like small lakes which serve a few purposes one could be to create a reservoir for storing fresh water for everyday use. Another purpose is to turn turbines to produce electricity like hoover dam, which creates massive amounts of electrical power. One could consider water a renewable energy source and does not pollute the atmosphere but it adversely affects the ecosystem downstream from the dam again not that great for the environment.

~ Nuclear power- Works much the same as burning fossil fuel except instead of burning fuel to create heat to turn water it into steam they split atoms with neutrons which produces more neutrons which splits more atoms thus causing a chain reaction this chain reaction produces large amounts of heat. The primary coolant water used to cool reactors is then used to turn the secondary coolant water to steam to turn the turbines it is then cooled to condense it back to water and sent back to cool the primary water that cools the reactor. The biggest problems with nuclear power are the radioactivity, the devastating effects of a meltdown and the waste from used up uranium which can remain radioactive for hundreds of years. Once again unlike renewable energy sources not good for the environment.

Renewable energy sources:

~ Solar Power- One of our best sources of energy that will last for a very long time, the sun. Solar panels collect the suns' energy and store it in solar cells so that even on a cloudy day or at night there is stored up energy that can still be used. Solar power is not only a renewable energy source but is also very good for the environment as it does not pollute.

~ Wind Power- Wind is another excellent renewable energy source. Windmills have been used for a very long time to do things like pump water, turn large mills for grinding wheat and oat and more recently to produce electricity. The only draw back would be the region in which you live. If you live in a low wind region, you may not get enough air flow to turn the windmill's blades.

Non- renewable energy sources took millions of years to produce and we are using them up very quickly, to conserve what is left we must look to renewable energy sources as a viable solution to the quickly exhausting non renewable ones.