10 Life Lessons We Can Learn From Green Power
What Is Green Power? Green power is electricity produced by renewable sources like geothermal, solar, and wind biomass, energy and hydroelectricity that has a low impact. It is available to consumers in deregulated markets who want to help support green energy sources by putting an additional cost to their utility bills. Many renewable energies are less environmentally harmful than drilling for oil or mining coal. They also can help us reduce our greenhouse emissions of greenhouse gases. Solar Energy Solar energy is among the most well-known green sources of power. Solar energy is a renewable resource because it is never depleted. It is an efficient, clean and secure energy source that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution of the air from fossil fuels, such as coal, natural gas and oil. This energy is a great alternative to nuclear power that requires the mining extraction, storage and storage of radioactive waste. The sun's energy can be used to generate electricity in a variety ways such as photovoltaic (PV) panels as well as concentrated solar-thermal power (CSP) and solar thermal collectors. Solar electricity can either be distributed directly to homes and businesses or to grids that supply power to other. Certain consumers can sell their excess energy back to the utility company, which could help keep electricity bills low and even offset rising utility costs. Solar energy produces no emissions or air pollutants unlike fossil fuels, which produce harmful carbon dioxide and harmful gases when they are burned. Solar energy can be used to power satellites boats, spacecrafts and other devices in areas where accessing the electric grid is a challenge or even impossible. On a smaller scale, solar can be used to power buildings. Many homeowners use PV cells on their roofs in order to generate electricity. Passive solar homes allows for these homes to receive the sun's warmth during the day and store it in the evening. Solar-powered homes also benefit from the fact that they require very little maintenance. Hydropower is a different type of solar energy that makes use of the natural flow in streams, rivers dams, and streams. Like wind and biomass, hydropower is considered a renewable resource because it can be replenished. Look through the EPA's list of third party certified hydropower options if want to add it to your office or at home. Geothermal Energy A geothermal plant uses the heat of the Earth to produce electricity. The process makes use of steam and hot water that naturally occur a few kilometers below surface of the Earth. It is a renewable and sustainable energy source that can generate electricity all day, 365 of the year. Geothermal energy can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and is one of the most eco-friendly methods of power generation. The most popular geothermal power station is the flash-steam plant. This uses water at temperatures of around 182deg C (360deg F) to generate electricity and power turbines. The steam can also be used to heat buildings, or other industrial processes. Iceland for instance relies on the geothermal power to melt snow, heat its sidewalks, streets and parking spaces in the frigid Arctic Winter. Another source of geothermal energy is a hot dry rock (HDR) power plant that taps underground reservoirs of hot dry rock that have been heated by man-made or natural activities. HDR plants are simpler to build and operate because they require less infrastructure. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, there is enough HDR sources in the United States for all of our current electrical needs. Steam from geothermal power stations can be utilized to generate electricity by using steam turbine generators or in conjunction with gas-fired turbines to increase efficiency. The mixture is able to be converted into natural gas and burned in a boiler, generating electricity. Geothermal energy is not just safe and reliable, but also has the lowest carbon footprint among all renewable energy sources. Binary-cycle plants that employ an engine to turn steam into electricity produce little or no nitrous dioxide methane, sulphur and oxide. Geothermal energy is not without its difficulties, despite its advantages. Drilling required to build geothermal power plants can trigger earthquakes and pollute groundwater. Injection of high-pressure streams into geothermal reservoirs can cause subsidence. This is a gradual sinking that could damage roads, buildings, and pipelines. Biogas Biogas is an energy source that is renewable and gaseous that generates green power. It can be made from manure, agricultural waste, plant material such as municipal waste, sewage food waste, and other organic waste materials. Biogas can be converted into transportation fuels, electricity, heat and energy, combined heat and energy, or electricity, using the Fischer-Tropsch method. Biogas is also a great source of hydrogen that can be produced renewable for use in fuel cells, which are likely to play a major role in the future of global energy systems. The most commonly used method to maximize the value of biogas is generating electricity in the combined heat-and-power (CHP) plant. The heat generated by the CHP process is used to aid in the fermentation of the organic waste, and the electricity is then fed into the grid. It can also be compressed into natural gas and incorporated into existing distribution networks for natural gas. Biogas can be used as a substitute for imported mined natural gas in ground transportation, commercial and residential buildings. Biogas is renewable energy source that can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The CCAC is working to provide tools to measure reporting and verifying (MRV) the cleanliness of cooking practices in households in low to middle-income countries. This will help the 67 countries who have included clean-cooking targets in their Nationally Determined Contributions. Biogas can be used as an alternative to conventional natural gas for cooling and heating and to substitute fossil fuels for the production of electricity, carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced. electric power scooters can also be used to produce liquid transport fuels that can be an alternative that is sustainable to oil, coal and other fossil fuels. By taking methane and reusing it to prevent the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and the evaporation of nitrogen that would otherwise pollute our water resources. The Plessis-Gassot landfill for non-hazardous waste in Claye-Souilly, France, for example collects biogas and converts it into a sustainable supply of energy for homes connected to the system. Small-scale biogas facilities can be set up in cities, allowing for the collection and utilization of organic waste from local sources. This will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with transport and treatment. Hydroelectric Power Hydropower is a renewable source of energy that uses the kinetic energies of water flowing. It is the most sought-after and least expensive source of renewable energy in the world. It releases no direct greenhouse gases but has significant environmental impact. It is a flexible form of green power that is easily adjusted to meet the changing needs of supply and demand. It is able to last a life of more than a hundred years and is able to be upgraded for improved efficiency and performance. The majority of hydropower plants harness the energy of water falling through dams. The kinetic energy of the water is converted into electricity through a series of turbines, which spin at a speed proportional to the speed of the water. This electricity is then transmitted to the electric grid to be used. Hydroelectric power plants require a significant investment in reservoirs and pipes. However, operating costs are low. These plants can also be used as backups for other intermittent renewable energy technologies like wind and solar. There are two major types of hydroelectric plants: storage and run-of-river. Storage plants have huge impoundments that can store more than one season's worth of water. Run-of-river plants use water from rivers and streams that flow freely. Hydropower plants are often located near or in areas of high density of population, where electricity demand is high. The environmental impact of hydropower is dependent on the size and location of the dam, the amount of water displaced and the wildlife habitats and habitats affected by inundation and decomposition. These effects can be mitigated and mitigated through the use of Low Impact Hydroelectricity (LIHI) standards for construction and operation of hydropower projects. The standards contain measures to protect the flow of rivers as well as water quality passage for fish and protection, watershed protection, threatened and endangered species, recreation and cultural resources. In addition to generating renewable energy Hydropower plants also function as the world's biggest “batteries.” These are known as storage facilities pumped by the government and work by pumping water uphill from a lower reservoir to a reservoir higher. If there is a requirement for electricity then the water in the lower reservoir is released to power generators, while the water in the upper reservoir is pumped back downhill by turbines to generate more electricity.