Alternative Energy Sources
According to Wulfinghoff (2020) up to 80% of the energy used in the United States is produced using fossil fuels. We are headed for a quick depletion of these scarce resources given our level of reliance on fossil fuels at this time. That is to say, if we don’t take precautions, we will exhaust our limited, nonrenewable resources. This entails the end of using oil, natural gas, and even coal. The environment is negatively impacted by the use of fossil fuels in power plants. We’re discussing everything from ecosystem damage to air, water, and ocean pollution. The good news is that, as alternative energy sources have grown in popularity, we are now able to lessen our reliance on fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas. This essay will define alternative energy and explain why switching to alternative energy sources is crucial to ending our reliance on fossil fuels.
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Providing 8% of the country’s energy, wind power is the top renewable energy source in the US. Although this renewable energy source isn’t as quiet as solar electricity, it still has a high efficiency and is generally considered to be environmentally beneficial. Wind power is effective and advantageous since it doesn’t pollute the air like power plants that burn fossil fuels like coal or natural gas, which release particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide that harm human health and create economic harm. There are no atmospheric emissions from wind turbines that result in acid rain, smog, or greenhouse gases. Wind generates jobs (Wulfinghoff, 2020). More than 100,000 people are employed in the US wind industry, and wind turbine technician is one of the fastest growing occupations in the country. The wind vision report estimates that by 2050, wind could support more than 600,000 jobs in manufacturing, construction, upkeep, and related services jobs (Wulfinghoff, 2020).
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Domestic energy comes from the wind. The wind resource in the country is limitless and abundant. The United States’ wind power capacity has increased by 15% annually over the last ten years, making wind energy the country’s greatest source of renewable energy. It is durable. In fact, wind energy is a type of solar energy. The sun’s heating of the atmosphere, the Earth’s rotation, and the irregularities in the surface of the Earth are what produce winds. The energy generated can be used to transmit power across the grid for as long as the sun shines and the wind blows (Wulfinghoff, 2020).
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On existing farms or ranches, wind turbines can be constructed. The economy of rural areas, where the majority of the best wind sites are located, benefits greatly from this. Because wind farms only occupy a small portion of the land, farmers and ranchers can continue to exploit the area. Farmers and ranchers receive rent payments from wind power plant owners in exchange for using their land, giving landowners an additional source of income (York & Bell, 2019).
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Wind energy is cost-effective. With a cost of 1-2 cents per kilowatt-hour after the production tax credit, land-based utility-scale wind is one of the most affordable energy sources on the market right now. The price uncertainty that fuel costs add to traditional sources of energy is reduced by wind energy since this electricity from wind turbines is sold at a fixed price over a long period of time and its fuel is free. Wind promotes competitiveness and industry growth in the United States. Over $10 billion is invested in the American economy each year by new wind farms. With its abundant domestic resources and highly skilled labor force, the United States can compete on a global scale in the clean energy economy.
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York & Bell (2019) show that geothermal energy is a different type of energy. Because heat is continually produced inside the earth, geothermal energy is a renewable energy source. Geothermal energy is used by people to produce electricity, heat buildings, and take baths. Due to its effectiveness and lower operating costs – geothermal heat pump systems are cost-effective – geothermal is better and more practical than fossil fuels. They provide efficiency that is unmatched and operate more effectively than standard heating and cooling systems by utilizing the earth’s thermal properties. In comparison to conventional systems, annual energy savings for property owners can be reduced by 20 to 50 percent for cooling and by 30 to 70 percent for heating. The system has a 300–400% efficiency, using three–four units of heating energy for every unit of electricity it consumes.
Geothermal systems can also increase energy security by protecting against inflation in the price of commodities derived from volatile fossil fuels, such as natural gas. Geothermal energy also has the longest equipment life. The Canadian government claims that systems have the lowest life cycle costs and last 20% longer than average. Geothermal systems are an example of environmentally friendly, green technology because they completely eliminate the on-site burning of fossil fuels and significantly reduce the need for energy production. This significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and the environmental harm caused by the extraction of nonrenewable resources. Additionally, geothermal systems use the earth’s relatively constant temperature as a source of energy; this ensures constant, even heating in the winter and better humidity control in the summer (York & Bell, 2019). With just one system, your needs for heating and cooling are met. They do away with the requirement for exhaust venting, which lowers the number of penetrations in the built environment and enhances weather tightness.
Additionally, geothermal systems are capable of supplying any combination of forced air heating, luminous in-floor heating, residential hot water, and air conditioning from a single unit. Geothermal systems are capable of being created to offer effective heating and cooling solutions for everything from homes to offices to public swimming pools and everything in between. A third less space is needed for geothermal systems than for conventional HVAC systems (Eyraud et al. 2018). Better aesthetics and quieter operation are guaranteed by geothermal energy. neither a chimney nor outdoor HVAC equipment. The traditional air conditioner’s small, self-contained, interior equipment does not require the obtrusive, noisy outdoor condensing unit. Quiet and covert, geothermal heat pumps. Even though you won’t even notice them, you will see a difference in your energy costs. Air quality indoors is also guaranteed by geothermal systems. reduces the need for carbon monoxide detectors in new homes and their associated costs (since nothing is burned). reduces the need for external walls venting and increases building envelope weather resistance.
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