The fact that traditional energy sources are non-renewable is making people research and develop alternate energy sources. There are many new sources of energy that has come to popularity in the recent past. However, the race for becoming the top alternate energy source is still going on among these energy sources. Some among the top contenders of the race for becoming the top alternate energy source are given below.
Hydroelectric power can be defined as the power derived from water. The energy of moving water is used for turning the turbines of a generator. This generator will in turn produce electric energy. Hydroelectricity is an alternate energy source that is in use for a very long time. The wide-spread use of this energy source has made more researches possible in the same.
Even though, it is considered to be the biggest natural energy source, there were no established techniques for collecting and harnessing the power of solar energy until recently. However, things have changed with the introduction of solar panels. The main disadvantage of this technology is the fact that the panels are only capable of converting below 15 percent of the sunlight energy to electrical power.
Wind energy is also among most popular alternate energy sources. Wind energy is easy to operate, not expensive and eco-friendly. Wind mills can harness the power of wind. However, wind being highly unpredictable, you cannot ensure the production of electric energy every day.
The source is of great importance because of its ability to produce huge amounts of energy. It is an astonishing fact that more than 14 percent of the electric energy used by the people in the year 2007 came from the nuclear power plants. However, there are certain aspects of this source that requires thorough investigation. One among such major issues is the one related with nuclear waste. The nuclear waste has terrible destructive effects.
In the coastal areas, tidal energy is of great use. The fact that tidal energy is a cost-effective, clean and renewable source of energy made it more important in recent times. This energy source makes use of the power of tides. However, tidal energy is highly predictable in nature. The accuracy of predictions is because of the fact that tides are dependent on the changes in weather.
The aforementioned are some among the most top alternate energy sources.