Green electricity can be delivered in many different ways. First, let’s briefly review one of the most widely used sources of green electricity in the world.
Hydroelectricity has an advantage over many kinds of green electricity in that it is the longest-running source of green electricity. There are hydroelectric plants throughout the world that have been operating for more than 100 years. Hydroelectric power is currently experiencing renewed growth in parts 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 using 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 large hydroelectric dams, although plants using straight river flow also produce hydroelectricity. Hydroelectric power is generally regarded as being one of the cleanest ways to produce green electricity.
Geothermal power is another source used to produce green electricity. Geothermal power utilizes the natural heat from below the planet’s surface to create and capture steam. There are a number of methods of doing this. One is to simply pipe out the natural steam from under the earth’s surface and use it to run steam generators that produce electrical power in a way that is similar to hydroelectric generators. Another process is to run water through pipes under hot magma rock. The magma superheats the water in the pipes into steam and the steam is used to drive electric generators.
The most widely adopted source of green electricity is solar power. In using solar power, photons are collected by the sun. The photons create 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 generally 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 depending on how much electricity you generate with your solar panels. The other residential option is blackout protection, where your green electricity is stored in batteries and used in the event of a power failure.
Another type of green electricity is produced by wind power. Wind is air in motion that is caused 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 methods of producing electrical power from green sources. One of these is wave technology, in which the ocean is used as a source of electrical power generation.
Clearly, green electricity is the trend of the future, as more and more people are turning away from the environmentally degrading use of fossil fuels to clean energy driven electricity.
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