Innovative Technology

So, what's so great about taking advantage of green energy technology? Well, besides helping our planet, you get some practical benefits. Installing renewable energy technology like solar panels and wind turbines can save you some green, as in money, in the long run by reducing or eliminating your electricity bills. Having solar energy or wind energy technology installed on your property may even help increase its value. And you don't have to blow your budget to do it! Some solar panel models are available for less than $500.

Nonrenewable energy comes from sources like coal, oil and natural gas. Essentially, once it's used up, it can't be replaced easily. As our demand for these energy sources grows, the supply dwindles. Considering this, is it any wonder why prices soar?

Renewable energy comes from sources like wind or the sun. The sun will continue to shine for millions of years, providing all the energy we really need in our daily lives. And we will also always have wind. Renewable energy is also cleaner because we don't have to burn fossil fuels to extract the energy.

Photovoltaic cells are the most common and most easily recognized of solar energy technology. THe cells in solar panels power everything from handheld calculators to orbiting satellites. When exposed to sunlight, electrons in these cells are knocked loose from orbits around molecular nuclei, creating electricity.

Another form of solar energy technology is used in solar thermal plants. These plants can produce energy on a large scale by capturing heat from the sun. This can be done with concave mirrors, which is similar to using a hand-held magnifying glass to concentrate the sun's energy and burn paper, only on a larger scale. The heat is concentrated and boils water, creating steam that passes through a steam turbine. The energy from these turbines supply energy for thousands of people.

When people think of wind energy technology, they typically think of the giant wind turbines on wind farms. The biggest of these turbines can provide power for up to 600 homes. Some critics of wind power say that turbines are an eyesore and take up land that can be used to grow food, that they kill birds and bats that collide with them, and that when the wind isn't blowing, obviously no power can be produced. However, there are smaller wind turbines that can be installed on your property for a few hundred bucks and the use of wind power has quadrupled between 2000 and 2006.