Fossil fuels like coal, gas and oil are a limited energy resource. The cost of using these resources gets more expensive and will continue to increase as more gets used up. Fossil fuels are also thought to contribute to environmental problems like global warming and destroying the ozone layer. So going forward, are there any alternatives to these traditional sources of energy. There certainly is. This article will cover a few of the alternative energy sources.

The first alternative energy source that should be mentioned is solar energy. The sun as been used as an energy source since the time Mankind worshiped it as a god. A few things have changed since those times to the extent that it can be used in homes to generate electricity and power our gadgets and appliances.

There are two ways that the sun gives us energy. These are heat energy and light energy.

Heat energy can be used to heat water or even cook food. It is the most apparent use of the sun's energy and has been used for thousands of years.

Utilizing the sun's light energy has required the development of new technology. This technology is called the photovoltaic cell (PV). PV cells react with sunlight to create direct current (DC). Depending on the number of PV cells and the strength of the sunlight more current will be produced. DC can be used to run many appliances. It can be stored in a battery for later use or it can be transformed to alternating current (AC). AC current is used in most homes and to move electricity from one place to another.

Wind power seems to be getting far more attention recently. This may be more and more wind turbines seems to be sprouting out of the countryside. Wind turbines are the main way that we take advantage of wind power but they get a mixed reaction of their size and shape. Some people are fascinated by them, whilst other find them obtrusive and a blot on the landscape.

A wind turbine is a modern and extremely more efficient wind mill. Huge blades are turned by the wind. This kinetic energy is used by a generator that makes electricity. This alternative method of energy is particularly popular in Scandinavian countries but many other European countries seem to be using them now.

Using water is another alternative to fossil fuels. The most common use is by building a dam and producing hydroelectric power. This is an expensive option and has damaging consequences to the area where the dam is built.

Wave energy is another application of water power. There are two ways to do this. Using fixed or floating applications. The idea behind wave power is that the kinetic energy in the wave can turn a generator to make electricity. The movements of the wave can directly turn the generator or they can increase and decrease the air pressure in the generator housing that turns the generator fans.

Geothermal energy is another alternative that is used in certain parts of the world. The idea of geothermal energy is to take advantage of the massive heat that exists in the Earths core. For anyone that has been to a natural hot spring or spa you will understand how this works. It can be used passively by using the hot water created by the core. Or it can be used actively by passing cold water into the core and getting it heated. This can be turned into steam that can used to turn a generator.