Energetics

Energy Sources

By: Jarred Zipperer, ENGL 1101

Energy is becoming a growing concern in today's world. There are various ways to produce energy for commercial and home use, such as burning coal and other fossil fuels. Some other ways to produce energy include, but are not limited to, hydroelectricity, solar power, and wind power. There is also growing concern in the automotive area about the stability of petroleum products, and automotive companies are starting to develop vehicles other than ones that use primarily fossil fuels. I hope that after analyzing the data presented here, that the reader will realize there are more sources of energy other than fossil fuels, and will be able to make informed decisions.

Solar power

Next, solar power is another technology that is used to create energy from sunlight. There have been advances in recent years with solar panels, such as the discovery that nanoparticles in an organic dye can convert sunlight into electricity, according to researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany (Hunt 3). The electricity-generating film is placed between two glass panes, and because of the small size of the nanoparticles, the resulting solar modules are semitransparent (Hunt 3). In addition, some states are making efforts to encourage solar power in private and commercial use. Duke Energy Carolinas is proposing a $100 million plan to install electricity generating solar panels at up to 850 North Carolina sites including homes, schools, stores and factories (Posey 24).

Hydroelectric Power

Water has been used as a source of power since the Roman Empire. Water covers almost 70% of the surface of the globe and is the Earth’s most abundant resource(hydro electricity). Hydroelectric power, using the potential energy of rivers, now supplies 20% of the world’s electricity (Bakis 259). Hydroelectric power is generated at dams or other places where water descends from a height, or coasts with a large tidal swing. The hydro power is the leading source of renewable energy, providing more than 92% of all electricity generated by renewable sources (Bakis 259).