Alternative Source Of Energy And Its Background

The switch from one energy source to another has not been seen since the first part of the 20th century. Then, people all around the world relied on horses for transportation and gas lamps for light. Then, came the world-wide use of fossil fuels and the introduction of automobiles and electric bulbs, which revolutionized the way people lived. But the over-dependence on fossil fuels is quickly coming to an end, as can be gleaned from the difficulty in obtaining it, and the high prices all over the world.

With the huge increase and dwindling supply of our main source of energy, people are beginning to demand ways to find cheaper fuels. Thus it is a safe assumption that a revolution in energy sources is on the brink. We only need to apply our knowledge and invent new ways of bringing clean energy to the fore and finding a way of keeping the cost down of said energy due to the high demand for it. Also, the monopoly that is in place of only a few companies holding all the resources needs to be lifted. Many of the energy sources that are in use today are not even considered green due to the havoc they can wreck on the surrounding environments (i.e. hydroelectric, thermal, nuclear and fossil).

This is why we need to find a new energy source that is cheaper to maintain, produce, renewable and green. One alte
ative that is available is Solar Energy. Solar energy is a vastly possible alte
ative to the use of fossil fuels because it is so readily available. Not taking advantage of it would be a huge crime when one considers the livelihood of our children and future generations.

This site deals with using Solar Energy for heating for the UK and Ireland

Ireland consumes 2.5 million tons of oil each year for energy purposes, and this doesn’t even include the oil that is used for transportation purposes. This represents a quarter of the total energy consumption in Ireland. The burning of fossil fuels such as oil, peat, coal and gas is what provides the majority of that energy. And this results in 11 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions which is the main contributor to green gas emissions.

About Solar Energy

Solar energy is a radiant energy that is produced in the sun at very high pressures that cause a nuclear fusion. This results in a temperature that is in excess of 5000˚ C, and radiates out in the form of light and heat. Most of it that reaches the earth is in the form of light, which takes about 8 minutes to travel the distance from the sun to earth. Once it has reached earth, a third of it is absorbed by the atmosphere. It is estimated, based on scientific calculations, that the amount of solar energy that is produced on a square meter of earth’s surface is the equivalent of the energy contained in one barrel of oil. This means that there is a vast supply and amount of solar energy at any given time. And it is free to be used. Today, technology has created solar panels that sit atop roofs and collect solar energy. This energy is then transformed to be used for space heating, water heating, and space cooling (i.e. desiccant evaporators and absorption chillers). There are several highly efficient systems that are available, such as the Solar Thermal Concentrating Systems, parabolic troughs, central receivers, parabolic dishes and Photovoltaics.