Types of Energy
We all use it. We all need it. What is it? Energy is essentially, the ability to do work. Energy is the potential for doing work. Energy exists in different ways, like mechanical energy (the kinetic or movement kind), thermal energy (heat), and others. But all forms of energy are forms of power!
The main four types of energy that give energy to our homes and world are solar, wind, water, coal/natural gases. We use the first three forms of energy because they are renewable. That means over time it won’t run out or can be recharged. The second type of energy, coal/natural gas energy, is non-renewable because, at some point in the future, it will run out.
Solar Energy
Solar is just the energy coming from the sun, and though it may seem like a small amount, it can supply all of Earth’s power if we used efficient enough technology. Of course, the problem with solar power is that you need sunlight to harvest it. There are days when it’s cloudy for a while, so you may need to save the energy in some way, like building dams for water turbines to be built on top of it, or building windmills by the sea to save up wind energy. Solar panels are used to capture solar energy and turn it into electricity. This is a good idea if you have a house that’s exposed to a lot of sunlight, or a greenhouse that requires a lot of light.
Wind Power
This is another form of harvesting solar energy. Instead of using sunlight, wind turbines use the kinetic energy from the wind to spin. The spinning can turn gears that can generate electricity. It’s mostly used for these smaller electronic devices. The power of the wind can be large enough to help run entire buildings though! The only problem with harvesting energy this way is it’s not very efficient, sometimes wasting more than what you harvested. It depends on how much there is and the size of the turbine.
Water/Hydro Energy
Water turbines are another form that harvests energy. This is one of the most common ways to harvest energy because water is so common in our world! Just build a dam at a river with enough drop, and you have yourself a power source! Again, the turbines are used to generate electricity. The main problem with using this form of energy is that it’s not renewable. Once all of the rivers run out of water, we can’t use this way to produce power anymore.
Coal and Natural Gas Power
This is the most popular way to get power. Coal and natural gas are both burned to produce heat that turns into steam that spins turbines, then turning gears that can generate electricity! The only problem is, it’s very dangerous because of all the harmful chemicals being released into the air. Coal can cause a lot of pollution, and it’s not a renewable resource. The heat of the Earth might be enough to replenish all the coal we burned over time, but it would take hundreds of thousands of years for this to happen.
We can find cheaper and cleaner energy sources to power our homes, such as power to choose in Texas, Dallas electricity rates, Houston energy plans, and to learn more, you can read 4Change Energy reviews. To protect your home and appliances, you can also look into home warranty plans.
