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There’s a lot of greening going on in Greensburg—there are green new building techniques, a brand new green attitude, and the use of renewable energy sources. So what are renewable energy sources? It's pretty self explanatory, really—they're ways of generating power that don’t usurp the earth’s resources and instead draw from sources that can be replenished and reused. These are some of the best renewable energy sources being used today:
- Wind Power – If you’ve ever seen a crop of small, futuristic looking windmills off the side of the road, you’ve seen wind power at work. The concept is simple: wind pushes the turbine, and the turbine generates electricity. (OK, so it’s not that simple, but the longer explanation doesn’t sound so snappy) Some countries, like Spain, get a huge chunk of their energy from wind power.
- Solar Power – This is another classic renewable energy generator. The concept’s been around for quite a while now, but the solar power industry is just getting started. It’s based around a process where solar cells convert sunlight into energy. Solar panels already line rooftops across the world, supplying power not only to private homes, but sometimes to cities and communities as well.
- Hydroelectricity – Another technology is the use of structures like dams to run water through a turbine system in order to generate electricity. This may be the oldest of all the renewable energy technologies, as early crude hydroelectric power was first used over 100 years ago, in the form of a waterwheel. As well as being one of the oldest, it also arguably faces the most problems as a true renewable process. But as with most technologies these days, it's improving.
- Geothermal Power – One of the less used, but most exciting renewable sources is geothermal power. It's implemented in geysers, where it harnesses the steam and converts it into power. It’s essential an ultra potent blast of steam power, which translates into lots and lots of wattage. Look for geothermal power to creep up in more environmental discussions in years to come.
- Biodiesel – An alternative source of fuel, Biodiesel is an important renewable resource. It's created from vegetable oils or animal fats, and can be combined with standard diesel to be mad more potent. That’s right, in the proper hands, soy beans and a little diesel can be combined into an efficient, emission-light fuel source. And remember, these are just the current cream of the crop. Watch the horizons for further innovations like wave power, tide power, and biomass energy.
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