The Importance of Alternative Energy

The Importance of Alternative Energy

  • Submitted By: ehawes91
  • Date Submitted: 03/12/2009 3:50 PM
  • Category: Science
  • Words: 1430
  • Page: 6
  • Views: 1051

What is alternative energy? Why is it important? These are questions that many people have been asking. The Oxford dictionary defines alternative energy as energy fuelled in ways that do not use up natural resources or harm the environment (“Alternative Energy”). With global warming and the possibility of one day running out of fossil fuels, more people then ever are considering switching to alternative energy sources.
Global warming is a big issue on everybody’s mind. Many say that the main cause of global warming is the release of fossil fuels; oil, coal, and natural gases, in to the atmosphere. Burning fossil fuels releases many pollutants including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and ash particles (Yount 5). Carbon dioxide which is a colorless, odorless gas is probably the worst pollutant of them all. Carbon dioxide is harmful because the higher concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, means there is more solar energy being kept close to the earths surface, and the surface becomes warmer (Yount 5). With this in mind many people are looking into different alternative energy sources. Some of the more popular sources are solar power, wind power, hydropower, and geothermal energy. Many scientists say that the future is renewable energy.
Solar energy uses energy from the sun and coverts it into electricity. Solar panels are arranged in a sequence of solar modules. Solar modules are made up of multiple solar cells. The solar cells absorb energy from the sun and transform it into electricity (“How Solar Works”). The cells are made of silicon, a nonmetallic element. According to Gibson “When sunlight strikes high-grade silicon...electrons break free to create an electrical current” (Gibson 40). There are two different layers of silicon used in a solar panel, N-type silicon which is negative and P-type silicon that is positive. N-type contains phosphorus, which creates free electrons. P-type which contains boron that creates the positive charge in the...

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