What Are Alternatives Of Energy?

Alternative energy refers to energy sources that are renewable, sustainable, and emit little to no greenhouse gases. Alternative energy provides an alternative to fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, which are non-renewable and major contributors to climate change and pollution. There are several major types of alternative energy including solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, biomass, hydrogen, and nuclear energy. Alternative energy has become increasingly important as concerns grow over the environmental impacts of fossil fuels and the need to transition to cleaner energy for the future. Alternative energy sources are renewable, meaning they replenish naturally and are available indefinitely. They produce little to no emissions of greenhouse gases or air pollutants. Alternative energy can help reduce dependence on imported fuels, improve energy security, and create economic opportunities in renewable energy industries. This article provides an overview of the main types of alternative energy and their potential benefits.

Table of Contents

Solar

Solar energy comes directly from the sun and is captured through solar panels. Solar panels contain photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight into electricity. There are two main types of solar energy: photovoltaics and solar heating/cooling. Photovoltaics convert sunlight directly into electricity through solar cells. Solar heating systems use the sun’s thermal energy to heat water or air.

Some key pros of solar power are that it is renewable, clean, abundant, and low maintenance. Solar energy production creates no air or water pollution and very little carbon emissions. Solar power can be generated almost anywhere that receives sunlight. Once solar panels are installed, they require very little maintenance or intervention to continue producing energy. Solar energy could realistically provide most of the world’s electricity if fully scaled up.

Some key cons are that solar only works when the sun is shining. Energy storage and transmission are key challenges. Solar power is currently still more expensive than conventional power generation, though costs are falling rapidly. Aesthetics and land use are also cons to consider with large-scale solar facilities.

Solar currently provides about 3% of total electricity generation globally. However, solar capacity is growing at a rate of over 20% per year as costs fall dramatically. Many experts expect solar to become the world’s largest source of electricity by mid-century.

Wind

Wind power harnesses the kinetic energy of moving air to generate electricity using large wind turbines. Wind turbines work by capturing the wind with their propeller-like blades, causing a rotor to spin. This spin turns a generator to create electricity. Wind turbines can be built on land (onshore wind) or offshore in bodies of water.

Onshore wind farms are less expensive to build and easier to maintain than offshore wind. However, offshore wind farms benefit from stronger and more consistent winds. Onshore wind is one of the most cost-effective and sustainable renewable energy sources. It doesn’t create any emissions and has a small environmental footprint compared to other energy sources.

Some of the pros of wind power include its low operating costs once built, no fuel costs, and proven large-scale technology. Cons include variability and intermittency issues since wind speeds fluctuate, high upfront infrastructure costs, potential noise pollution, and threats to birds and bats. Wind currently provides over 6% of U.S. electricity generation and has potential for substantial growth in the renewable energy mix.

Hydropower

Hydropower is one of the oldest and most widely-used renewable energy sources. It harnesses the kinetic energy of flowing water to generate electricity. There are several types of hydropower facilities based on size and structure. The three main types are impoundment, diversion, and pumped storage. Impoundment facilities utilize a dam to store river water in a reservoir. The water is then released through the dam to spin turbines and generate electricity. Diversion facilities channel a portion of the river through a canal or penstock to power turbines without the use of a dam. Pumped storage facilities pump water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir when electricity demand is low so it can be released to produce power at peak times.

Some benefits of hydropower include its renewable nature, low operating costs, and ability to quickly adjust output to meet demand. It does not produce air pollution or greenhouse gases. Hydropower can also provide flood control, irrigation, and recreation opportunities. Drawbacks are its reliance on suitable geography and water flow, disruptions to fish migration, and potential methane emissions from reservoirs. Today, hydropower provides around 16% of the world’s electricity from facilities large and small. Major producers include China, Brazil, Canada, the U.S., and Russia. There is still untapped potential worldwide, especially from small hydro facilities. Overall, hydropower remains a major renewable energy source due to its clean power, low cost, and storage capabilities.

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy taps into the natural heat inside the earth to produce renewable energy. There are three main types of geothermal energy systems: geothermal power plants, geothermal heating/cooling systems, and geothermal heat pumps.

Geothermal power plants use wells and pumps to bring hot water or steam up from deep underground reservoirs. The steam rotates a turbine that activates a generator, which produces electricity. After being used, the steam is returned to the reservoir through an injection well. There are three types of geothermal power plants: dry steam, flash, and binary. Dry steam plants use steam directly from a reservoir to rotate the turbine. Flash plants take high-pressure hot water, allow it to partially flash into steam, then use the steam to drive a turbine. Binary cycle plants pass moderately hot geothermal fluid through a heat exchanger, which heats a secondary liquid that flashes into steam to drive the turbine.

Geothermal heating/cooling systems use moderate temperature ground loops to directly heat and cool buildings. Pipes called ground loops are buried in the shallow ground outside buildings. The loops circulate water and antifreeze that absorbs heat from the earth in winter and dissipates heat back into the earth in summer. The heated or cooled fluid is pumped throughout the building.

Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) use shallow ground loops plus a heat exchanger and refrigerant fluid to heat and cool buildings. The refrigerant fluid absorbs heat from the ground in winter and dissipates heat into the ground in summer. GHPs are highly energy efficient since they move heat rather than generating it through combustion.

The advantages of geothermal energy include its renewable, constant availability, independence from weather fluctuations, low emissions, and ability to provide baseload power. Disadvantages include high upfront costs for drilling and installation, potential for release of greenhouse gases if not properly managed, possible depletion of reservoirs over time, and limitation to areas with adequate geothermal resources.

Geothermal energy currently provides about 0.4% of total U.S. energy consumption. The Western U.S. has the highest installed geothermal capacity, where hydrothermal reservoirs are abundant. With advanced technologies, the Eastern U.S. also has untapped geothermal potential. The global geothermal market is projected to grow substantially in the coming decades.

Biomass

Biomass refers to organic material that comes from plants and animals. It includes wood and wood waste, municipal solid waste, landfill gas, biogas, ethanol, and biodiesel. There are a few ways that biomass can be used for energy:

Types of biomass:

Wood and wood waste – This includes wood, bark, sawdust, timber slash, and other wood waste that is created as a byproduct of lumber operations, construction, and other industrial processes.
Municipal solid waste – Also known as trash or garbage, this includes everyday items like paper, food scraps, plastics, leather, and yard trimmings.
Landfill gas – This is gas that’s produced from the natural decomposition of municipal solid waste in landfills.

Biogas – Manure from livestock operations and organic industrial waste are anaerobically digested to produce this gas which is primarily methane and carbon dioxide.
Ethanol – This can be produced from corn, sugar cane, grasses like switchgrass, and other plant materials.
Biodiesel – Vegetable oils, fats, greases, and algae can be used to make this fuel.

How biomass is used for energy:

There are a few main ways that biomass can be utilized for energy production:

Direct combustion – Biomass is burned directly to produce heat and electricity.

Conversion to liquid biofuels – Biomass is processed to make liquid transportation fuels like ethanol and biodiesel.
Biogas production – Bacteria break down organic material anaerobically to generate biogas which can be combusted to generate electricity and heat or upgraded to natural gas quality biomethane.

Pros of using biomass for energy:

Renewable – Biomass can replenish itself fairly quickly.
Reduces landfill waste – It provides a use for organic waste materials.
Can be used directly for heating.

Relatively low carbon emissions compared to fossil fuels.

Cons of using biomass for energy:

Some methods like direct combustion can produce air pollution.

Potential competition with food production if crops are grown specifically for energy.
Requires large amounts of land to produce substantial energy.
Transportation costs can be high.

Not as energy dense as fossil fuels.

Current use: Biomass provides about 5% of total primary energy use in the United States. It’s utilized in the electric power, industrial, residential, and transportation sectors, but the majority is used for heat and power generation.

Hydrogen

Hydrogen is a clean fuel that, when consumed in a fuel cell, produces only water and heat as by-products. Hydrogen fuel cells have emerged as a promising alternative energy technology, capable of powering everything from portable electronics to vehicles.

How Hydrogen Fuel Cells Work

Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity. At the anode, hydrogen molecules are split into protons and electrons. The protons pass through a membrane while the electrons create a separate current that powers an electric motor or device. At the cathode, oxygen combines with electrons returning from the circuit and protons to form water. This electrochemical reaction generates electricity without combustion or moving parts.

Production Methods

Hydrogen is typically produced by steam reforming natural gas, but it can also be produced through electrolysis of water or by gasifying biomass materials. Each method has different economic and environmental tradeoffs. Steam reforming is currently the most cost-effective but results in carbon emissions. Electrolysis powered by renewable electricity offers a zero-emission method but at a higher cost. Gasification of biomass can produce low-carbon hydrogen from plant materials.

Pros and Cons

The potential benefits of hydrogen fuel cells include reduced oil dependence, decreased pollutants and greenhouse gases, and efficient power production. However, current challenges include the high costs of production, storage and transportation of hydrogen, lack of hydrogen infrastructure, and durability issues with fuel cells. Overall, hydrogen offers promising potential as an alternative energy carrier, especially for uses requiring portable power.

Current Use

Hydrogen fuel cells are currently used in niche applications like forklifts, backup power, and some vehicles. A growing number of auto manufacturers have developed hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but lack of refueling infrastructure limits widespread adoption. Significant investment and development is still needed to realize hydrogen’s potential, but it remains an attractive option for storing and transporting renewable energy in the future smart grid.

Nuclear

Nuclear energy comes from the splitting (fission) or joining (fusion) of atomic nuclei. Uranium is the fuel most widely used for nuclear fission. The energy released by splitting the nuclei of uranium atoms into smaller atoms produces heat that is used to boil water into steam. The steam spins a turbine that drive’s a generator to produce electricity.

The two main types of nuclear fission reactors used today are pressurized water reactors (PWRs) and boiling water reactors (BWRs). In PWRs, water heated by nuclear fission is kept under pressure to avoid boiling. This hot water is circulated through a heat exchanger which makes steam in a secondary loop to power the turbine. In BWRs, the water heated by nuclear fission directly makes steam to run the turbine.

Nuclear fusion joins together light atomic nuclei, like hydrogen, to form heavier nuclei, releasing massive amounts of energy. Fusion reactors have not yet been built that produce electricity commercially.

The main advantages of nuclear power are that it does not emit greenhouse gases or air pollutants during operation and it provides reliable baseload power. The main disadvantages are high construction and decommissioning costs, accidents and meltdowns carry risks of radiation release, and high-level radioactive waste needs to be safely stored for long periods.

Nuclear energy provided about 10% of the world’s electricity in 2020. Over 400 nuclear power reactors operating in over 30 countries provide nearly 300 gigawatts of generating capacity. Nuclear power plays an important role in many countries’ energy mix and new reactors continue to be built, especially in Asia.

Tidal

Tidal energy harnesses the power of the tides to generate electricity. As ocean tides rise and fall, they create a massive movement of water that can be captured and converted into usable power. There are two main types of tidal power plants:

Barrage/Dam – A barrage is built across an estuary or bay, using the difference in height between high and low tides to drive turbine generators. The most common design is an ebb-generating barrage, which generates power as the tide flows out.
Tidal Stream – Tidal stream generators are underwater turbines that are placed directly in fast-flowing tidal currents. The spinning turbine blades drive an electrical generator in the same way as wind turbines.

Some pros of tidal energy are that it is renewable, predictable, and does not generate greenhouse gas emissions. It also has a low visual impact as installations are underwater. However, tidal power can be quite expensive to build and maintain. It also relies on suitable geographic locations with high tidal ranges. Environmental impacts include effects on marine life from installation and operation of tidal devices.

Currently, tidal power provides a very small amount of the world’s electricity, with the vast majority coming from barrage systems. Moving forward, tidal stream turbines are seen as having greater potential for growth. Notable tidal projects are located in South Korea, France, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Conclusion

Renewable energy sources offer promising alternatives to traditional fossil fuels. Solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal and biomass energy can provide clean, abundant energy to power our homes, businesses and vehicles while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Of these, solar and wind energy have emerged as two of the most rapidly growing and cost-effective options.

Solar energy harnesses the sun’s rays to generate electricity and heat. With solar panel costs decreasing dramatically over the past decade, solar energy systems are now affordable and accessible to more homeowners and businesses than ever before. Solar energy production is rapidly expanding across the U.S. and around the world.

Wind power is also surging in capacity. Advanced wind turbines can harness power even at lower wind speeds. Wind farms located offshore or on mountain ridges can maximize energy capture. Innovations in blade design and height are allowing wind turbines to generate more electricity at lower costs.

While hydropower, geothermal and biomass energy currently make up a smaller portion of renewable generation, they can provide localized energy solutions. All three can offer stable baseload power to supplement intermittent solar and wind.

As renewable energy technology continues to advance and costs decline, these alternatives will play an expanding role in displacing fossil fuel dependence. With sensible policies and public-private initiatives, communities and nations can transition toward an affordable, low-carbon energy system powered by renewable sources.