Conservation Of Energy

Non-conventional Sources of Energy

    1.Solar Energy

    2.Tidal Energy

    3.Wave Energy

    4.Geothermal Energy

    5.Nuclear Energy

    

    Solar Energy

What is Solar Energy?

Solar power is energy from the sun and without its presence all life on earth would end. Solar energy has been looked upon as a serious source of energy for many years because of the vast amounts of energy that are made freely available, if harnessed by modern technology.

Modern solar panels are a combination of magnifying glasses and fluid filled pipes. The solar panel seen opposite has a glass front which is specially made to focus the power of the sun on pipes behind it. The pipes carry a special fluid that heats up rapidly. They are painted black to absorb the heat from the sun. The silver reflective surface behind the pipes reflects sun light back, further heating the pipes and the fluid they contain. The reflective surface also protects anything behind the solar panel (such as a roof).
The heat produced in the pipes is then used to heat a tank of water. This saves using electricity or gas to heat up the water tank.

Solar Energy and Conservation

Solar technology is now poised to play a larger role in the future, thanks to new developments that could result in lower costs and improved efficiency. In fact, the solar PV industry aims to provide half of all new U.S. electricity generation by 2025. More and more architects are recognizing the value of active and passive solar and learning how to effectively incorporate it into building designs. Solar hot water systems can compete economically with conventional systems in some areas. Perhaps the future is here now. Shell has predicted that 50% of the world’s energy will come from renewable sources by 2040. In recent years manufacturing costs of photo-voltaic cells has dropped by 3-5% per year while government subsidies have increased. While to some such facts about solar energy seem trivial, this makes solar energy an ever-more affordable energy source. In the next few years it is expected that millions of households in the world will be using solar energy as the trends in USA and Japan show. Aggressive financial incentives in Germany and Japan have made these countries global leaders in solar deployment for years.

Tidal energy

What is Tidal Energy?

·       Tidal power or Tidal energy is a form of hydro-power that uses tidal energy generators that capture the kinetic motion of rise and fall of tides to produce electricity. Hydroelectric power stations capture the kinetic energy of moving water and give mechanical energy to turbines. The moving turbines then convert mechanical energy into electrical energy through generators. Dams around the world have been built for this purpose only. Hydro-power is the largest producer of alternative energy in the world.

 Tidal Energy and Conservation

 Hydro-power is renewable, constant, predictable and controllable source of energy. They emit no greenhouse gases and are environment friendly. Tidal power has great potential for future as tides can be much more accurately predicted than wind or sun and due to massive size of oceans. Though it available in plenty but harnessing energy from it is not that easy. It suffers from huge investment and limits availability of sites where it can be captured. 

  Wave energy

 What is Wave Energy?

Wave energy is produced when electric generators are placed on the surface of water. They are powerful sources of energy. Energy output is determined by wave height, wave speed, wavelength, and water density. The capture of this energy is to do useful work – for example, electricity generation, water desalination, or the pumping of water (into reservoirs). A machine able to exploit wave power is generally known as a wave energy converter (WEC). It is not easy to harness power from wave generator plants and this is the reason that they are very few wave generator plants around the world.

Wave Energy and Conservation

Wave energy never runs out. Even though the waves come only at a particular time to the shore… they always return. Unlike fossil fuels, which run out very easily, quickly even before they are discovered in another location. The second advantage of wave power is that it doesn’t emit any harmful gases that is, unlike fossil fuels it does not give out dangerous byproducts. Hence, wave power is eco-friendly. Many big cities and harbor are situated near the sea shore which gives the easier access to the waves. It is easily predictable and can be used to calculate the amount that it can produce.