Consumers never tire of complaining about high gas prices. As payments at the pump continue to get out of hand, due to the country’s reliance on foreign oil, more and more research is directed to the production of ethanol as a replacement. Ethanol is classified as a form of renewable energy and part of a […]

Solar power reaches the earth in two different ways-by heat and by light. Solar cells and other sources collect this heat to produce electricity, but it is often overlooked that the sun’s light can be very useful as well. For much of our country’s history, Americans depended on the sun for lighting our homes and […]

Whether you use fossil fuels or an alternative form of energy, one of the key components of the process is usually a generator. Without a generator, you cannot produce electrical energy-you can only produce mechanical energy. For example, when flowing water moves a waterwheel, this is mechanical energy. The waterwheel was sometimes used hundred of […]

Nuclear power is an alternative to using fossil fuels that many countries are pursuing. There are nuclear power plants in most of the major countries in the world, although some governments are stopping or slowing the nuclear power development program for fear of a nuclear accident, which could devastate the world. However, nuclear power is […]

Solar energy design can be used to achieve comfortable temperatures and light levels through either passive solar design or active solar design. Through passive solar design, the entrance of sunlight in cold conditions is maximized and the entrance in hot weather is reduced. In contrast to active solar design, such as the use of solar […]

When people hear the words “nuclear power,” many think of death and disaster, such as what occurred at the Chernobyl plant in Ukraine many years ago. It is true that we produce nuclear power at a great risk-a total meltdown at a nuclear power plant would affect the entire planet-but there are great benefits to […]

If you’ve ever used a small solar-powered calculator in grade school, you have a little understanding about how solar cells, also called photovoltaics, work. You probably played with your calculator at this young age, watching the numbers on the screen disappear as you covered with your thumb the small gray squares on the face of […]

One of the most talked about forms of alternative energy in the world today is solar power. While the concept of using panels to collect heat from the sun, which is then translated into energy to fuel your home, car, business, etc., once seemed like a futuristic concept, solar panels are actually being used in […]

As the United States and the rest of the world seeks alternatives to fossil fuels and nuclear energy, one of the most basic and oldest types of energy, wind power, is coming into play once again. Wind energy is a great renewable resource. The technologies to convert wind power into useable forms of electricity and […]

As more and more sports utility vehicles, trucks, and minivans are replacing small cars on the highways, there is a growing concern for the high amounts of chemicals being released into the air and environment. Not only do these larger forms of transportation consume more gasoline, but they also have a higher emissions rating, largely […]