Alternative Energy Types

This page is about alternative energy types.

I’ve explained my definition of alternative energy on

Here I want to list its various forms.

The navigation panel on the left and the links below will lead you to pages with more information on each of these types of alternative energy.

My Listing of Alternative Energy Types:

• Conservation• Solar• Hydro• Wind• Biomass• Geothermal• Nuclear

Conservation

I list conservation as an alternative energy source because getting the same result with less energy is as good as producing more energy.

For example, if you insulate your home and can now keep it at a comfortable temperature using half the fuel you did before, you've effectively doubled your fuel supply. There's more at Energy Conservation.

Solar

Harnessing the power of the sun has long been a dream that’s increasingly becoming a reality.

Some the numbers you'll see on Solar Energy Facts explain why it's been a dream. It’s becoming a reality because of the increasing practicality of a number of technologies.

Find out more about solar energy at the Solar Energy page.

Hydro Power

Early water wheels powered mills of all sorts. Today, most hydro power plants produce electricity so the energy can be used at a distance from its source.

In addition to the usual hydro electric plants, innovators are exploring capturing energy from tides and waves as well. This also is form of hydro power.

Find out more at Hydropower

Wind Energy

Sails were probably the first method of using wind energy and wind mills soon followed.

Today, wind energy turns turbines to generate electricity on scales ranging from individual homeowners using small turbines to meet some of their energy needs to large-scale wind farms.

Check out the Wind Power page for more info.

Biomass

The simplest form of biomass is burning wood for heat, but that’s just the beginning.

Other crops such as switchgrass are proving very practical, and technologies such as biodigesters reduce pollution, provide valuable products as well as produce some energy.

As you might expect, the Biomass Energy page has more details.

Geothermal

Geothermal energy is another fascination alternative source of energy. Like wind, it can produce energy on either a small or large scale.

On a small scale, geothermal heat pumps provide very effective home heating.

On a large scale, some parts of the world have geology that allows geothermal energy to produce electricity on a large scale. For example the Philippines already produce 25% of their electricity from geothermal powered plants.

Go to Geothermal Energy to find out more.

Nuclear Power

I’m mentioning nuclear power for completeness. It’s an alternative energy in the sense that it’s not a fossil fuel and that there hasn’t been a new plant built in the US in decades.

The issue of course is nuclear safety and what to do with the radioactive waste.

I prefer the other forms of alternative energy, but I also think we should keep an open mind.

Summary

That's my run down of alternative energy types. If I've missed any be sure to let me know.

There’s a lot more information on each of these at different pages on the site. You'll find a lot more details about the sources of alternative energy and the many various ways energy is produced from each,

Please feel free to explore your areas of interest.

Links

Click here to go to Alternative Energy Primer Home from Alternative Energy Types

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