How much does it cost on average to leave your television on, the night light kept in the bathroom, heat and cool your home, and even filling up your gas tank? We all use and depend on electricity in our daily lives without thinking about it. If we all stop, look, and think about the energy we rely on we would see some shocking facts about how energy production affects our health, the environment, and our billfolds. This energy crisis is affecting each and every one of us. How can we stop it? The solution is Alternative Energy. What is Alternative Energy? Alternative energy is defined as any source of usable energy intended to supplement or replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels. Types of alternative energy include hydroelectric energy, wind power, tidal energy geothermal energy, and solar energy.
Solar Energy is the use of the suns energy converted into thermal or electric energy. Our sun is the greatest source of energy we know about it today and has been since the beginning of mankind. It is very possible that solar power can replace traditional electricity sources in many places, especially where there is plenty of sunshine. Unfortunately not all places are good for solar power. In the areas at high latitude there is not enough sunlight in a day to produce efficient energy, and the same for places where it rains a lot. Solar energy is generally more popular in the mid-west parts of the U.S because it doesn’t work without plenty of the suns energy. How is solar energy is captured? There are four ways that solar energy is captured. One, Solar energy can be absorbed through flat plate liquid filled solar panels for water heating, which is basically a metal box with a glass cover over a dark colored metal plate. Water heating is probably the most popular, and here is how it works. Glass panels are placed on the roof of the house which is heated by the sun. Water is then pumped through pipes in the...