Have you ever asked yourself what are the primary sources of energy? In case you do not have an answer to this question then you should know that the primary sources are fossil energy, nuclear energy and renewable sources. All these sources are processed and they generate electricity that flows through power lines. These lines are the ones that bring energy to people’s houses and business’ headquarters. Everyone should know more about the main energy sources because it is important to know how to use them in order to preserve them as long as possible. There are around 9 main sources of energy people use to generate power, but only some of them are widely used. They are the ones that will become the subject of this article. New sources are discovered daily, but not all of them can be used to generate power to meet modern life energy needs.
Fossil fuels energy
When it comes to fossil fuels we can enumerate natural gas, petroleum and coal. We all know that fossil fuels are made of fossils that have formed during thousands of years. People have to be cautious with the quantity of fossil fuels they use, because they cannot be replaced. The quantity of fossil fuels is limited so it is important to find other alternatives sources of power. The process involves burning coal, that produces energy which is transformed into water and then to steam. The steam is the one that makes the turbines generate electricity, so as you can see the process is quite complex. In case petroleum is used as fuel, it will be put into a combustion chamber and it will generate energy during a process called internal combustion. But, the greatest disadvantage of using fossils as fuels is that during the process there are emitted greenhouse gases that lead to global warming. Oil is another primary source of energy, because it can be transformed into multiple products. In the majority of cases gasoline is the one that is used to generate energy, but lately natural gas became quite common in the heating producing industry.
Nuclear energy
Nuclear energy is produced by the component called Uranium 238. There are multiple uranium ores located around the world, and the source extracted from them is brought to nuclear reactors and transformed into electricity. Uranium can be mined from around 20 countries and it represents around 5% of the energy of the world. But it is important to state that it produces radioactive waste and this is why many people are against using it. Studies show that it is one of the causes that leads to cancer, and considering that cancer is one of the deathliest health issues of the world, there is no surprise that people want to get rid of it. There are great debates if this source of energy is safe to use or not, but the greatest advantage of using it is the fact that it is a renewable source. Nowadays almost every state of the world has nuclear generators where they can produce electricity from uranium, but as stated before the majority of them try to replace it with something that produces less harm when it comes to disposing of the waste.
Energy produced from renewable sources
Everyone knows that it is quite difficult to predict the outcome of multiple types of renewable energy. In order to use this type of sources there are needed high technology devices and strategies, and a lot of effort. When it comes to renewable types of energy it is important to state that they are diverse, and every day there are discovered new types.
Solar energy When trying to generate electricity by using the solar energy it is important to install panels in order to collect the energy of the sun. It is important to install the panels in open fields or in places exposed to the sun a long period of time. Solar energy is widely used by homeowners when they try to power the cooling and heating systems of the house and to supplement the amount of energy they receive from other main sources. When it comes to solar energy, it cannot be used all around the world, because not all the states of the world receive enough direct power from the sun. Also, the sun does not shine for long enough in order to generate the amount of energy needed to meet the requirements people have.
Geothermal energy This type of energy is generated from beneath the earth, and it comes with multiple benefits for the environment. Geothermal energy is used by both homeowners and industries, and it is transported with the help of metal pylons resulted after using steel pressing techniques. In the past this energy source was used for heating spaces and baths. This type of energy is not widely used because it can be collected only at selected sites.
Wave energy As its name states this type of energy is produced by waves. It is considered an environmentally friendly type of energy because it does not produce dangerous waste. Similar to geothermal energy, wave energy can be collected only in certain sites of the world, along the coastal regions. In order to produce this type of energy there is needed a certain wave length and in some cases it can be considered a source of noise and visual pollution.
Wind energy In order to produce energy by using wind there have to be installed windmills in places where high intensity wind blows. The wind currents will be transformed into electricity. But in order for the energy to get to the houses where it will be used, it is important to be transported by pylons made from a reliable Metal Pressing Company.
Biomass energy Organic material is used to generate biomass energy. It is one of the renewable sources that can be used around the world. Plants are burnt in order to produce this type of energy, and it can be used as fuel both for residential uses and for industrial purposes. It is important to state that during the process of generating biomass energy a large quantity of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.