Alternative
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 WHAT
IS ENERGY?Energy is the ability to do work. Work can be carrying, moving or lifting something, warming something, and lighting something. Energy is needed to make our world work. |
The
Energy Story from Energy Quest, California
Energy Commission
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KINDS
OF ENERGY |
Renewable
and Non-renewable Energy from the Energy Information
Administration
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 RENEWABLE ENERGY sources include solar energy, which comes from the sun and can be turned into electricity and heat. Geothermal energy from inside the earth, wind, biomass from plants, waste and hydropower from water and ocean tides are also renewable energy sources. |
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Renewable energy sources are also called ALTERNATIVE ENERGY We'll learn all about it here. There are advantages and disadvantages to all sources of energy. Some disadvantages are cost, pollution, danger, and availability. Scientists are always looking for better sources of energy that might limit the disadvantages. |
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The
sun is the most inexhaustible , renewable source of energy known to man.
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We can get energy directly from the heat inside the earth. This is called Geothermal Energy. Miles below the earth's surface lies hot rock called magma. The heat from this rock rises to the earth's crust in certain spots and warms underground pools of water. Southern Idaho has many of these spots and scientists are developing ways to use this energy to heat homes, other buildings and swimming pools. Energy
from the Earth's core, from the Energy Information Administration
will tell you more. You can also watch a geothermal
energy slide show. |
Find
out about Geothermal Energy Research at Idaho
National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory
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The
oceans may eventually provide us with another source of energy. We may
be able to use the ocean's tides and the ocean's waves. 70% of the earth's
surface is covered with water...that's a lot of waves that can be used
for energy! Learn more from The
Energy Story |
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Biomass and Waste You may be surprised to learn that the countryside can provide excellent sources of energy. Dead trees, left-over crops, sawdust, and clippings can be used to produce electricity and fuel. These sources are called "biomass." The
trash we produce everyday can also be used as fuel. When waste is burned
in incinerators it gives off heat which can be used to make electricity
or to heat buildings. If waste is buried in a landfill, the gas it gives
off as it decomposes can be collected and used. |
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| Now that you're becoming experts about energy, and alternative energy, you'll need to know some things you can do to "save energy. Follow Roofus as he shows you his energy efficient neighborhood. |
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Energy
from the sun is called Solar Energy.
We can all feel the heat from the sun. We can use this heat for
our energy needs: to heat buildings, or warm water. Small devices called,
photovoltaic cells, can turn light energy straight into electricity.
How do we harness the power of the sun? Just click 
Wind
PowerWindmills have been used for a long time to grind grains
and pump water from wells. Modern windmills, called wind turbines, are
now used to generate electricity. Wind turbines can be very big and
built in groups known as a wind farm. Small wind turbines can be used
to charge batteries To see how much electricity they produce and exactly
how they work, just click 
The
water in rivers can be used to make hydropower.
Dams create large lakes. Water from the lake flows through machines
called turbines which are connected to generators that make electricity.
Water has the power to make electricity for whole cities! For more about
the power of water just click