SOLAR POWER

As well as being the source of natural light on earth, the Sun is one of the biggest providers of energy. Solar power is a renewable resource because it is produced by the energy of the sun, which is always present in the atmosphere. Similar to the way solar energy heats the body, the suns rays can produce an electrical current when it contacts certain surfaces or put through certain processes. Silicon is an element that produces electicity when contacted with the sun, because the electrons in silicon start to flow. To harness this energy, silicon crystals are used so that great amounts of electrical currents are produced. Though better for the environment than non-renewable resources, solar power is not widely used in the United States because of how costly it is to be used.

WATER

Water is one if the most plentiful resources on earth. In fact, the earth is made up of over 70% water.
But what makes it renewable? Water is, in fact, a finite substance on earth, right?
Well, that doesn't mean it can't be renewable. Water is a renewable resource because of the cycle of which it is moved throughout the earth. Affected by solar power, water is harnessed in all forms in different parts of the world and affects different ecosystems as gasses, ice, rain, or water in the ground. Water is used as a source of energy through Hydroelectricity. Hydroelectricity is the process of harnessing energy through the flow of water in streams, rivers, falls, etc. Most electricity that is produced in this way is generated in large water-fuelled power plants and can fuel anything from light bulbs to giant generators.

What makes a resource renewable?

By definition, renewable resources are those that can replenish continually. This means that there will never be a depletion or extinction of these sources. In contrast, resources that are non-renewable have finite deposits throughout the earth and can eventually run out. Examples of renewable are water, wind and solar power. These resources are infinite and will not run out because they have the ability to regenerate on their own. Examples of non-renewable resources are coal and petroleum, because these cannot be regenerated once they are gone.

Welcome!

Welcome to Alternate Sources of Energy!
Here on this blog, I hope to inform and educate students like me about renewable resources and the chemistry behind them, as well as ways in which they can change their day to day lives in order to become more energy efficient. Posts will include text, graphs and data, pictures and video, all on various things that are relevent to this project. Thank you for viewing!!