Alternatives to Solar Power

• Alternative energy sources reduce the world's reliance on environmentally harmful fuels.wind turbine image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
  
  Alternatives to solar power have the focus of both public and private entities around the world. The interest in energy options other than solar power for powering businesses, factories and transporting goods and services has gained momentum over the years. Some of the most talked-about alternatives energy solutions include wind, geothermal and hydropower. The Energy Information Administration states that renewable energy sources generate approximately 8 percent of energy used in the U.S. predominantly in the form of electricity.
  
  

Wind Power

• Wind power provides a natural source of energy that does not poison the environment and lends to energy security for the nation. Wind turbines work by using the power of the wind to blow over the blades of the turbine blades to produce energy that power generators to churn out electrical power. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2009, 35 states were using wind turbines to produce electricity. Texas, Washington, California, Minnesota and Iowa were the leaders in the generation of wind power.
  
  The U.S. Department of energy has the Wind and Water Power Program, which has the purpose of assisting in the overall performance of wind-powered technology as well as reduces the cost. In addition, the agency would like to speed up the use of wind for the generation of electricity for homes and businesses.
  
  

Geothermal Energy

• Geothermal energy occurs naturally. On the earth's surface, this force exists in the form of geysers, hot springs or volcanoes and fumaroles or the holes that emit volcanic gas. One source of geothermal energy comes from hot water or hot rocks situated a few miles under the ground. However, the majority of geothermal reservoirs formulates at the earth's core, which is hotter than the sun, and comes from molten rock or "magma." The basic technology consists of geologists first locating the reservoirs. By digging wells, workers extract heat in the form of steam or hot water and pump the resource to the surface.
  
  Geothermal energy heats buildings or produces electricity. Hawaii and western States contain most of the geothermal reservoirs in the U. S. The Geysers, located in California and the largest dry steam source on the planet, has generated electricity for over 50 years.
  
  

Hydropower

• The U.S. Energy Information Administration states that of all renewable energy sources, hydropower generates more electricity than the other choices. In 2008, hydropower produced 67 percent of electricity from renewable energy and 6 percent of the total electricity produced in the U.S. Currently, two systems exist for the creation of hydropower--storage systems and run-of-the-river systems. A storage system entails building of dams to create reservoirs for storing water. Run-of-the river systems function by the force of the water, which provides the pressure by releasing water necessary to power generators. Hydropower works by the force of water rushing through pipes and powering turbine blades that turn generators. The generators produce electricity.