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Running head: CLEAN ENERGY

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Institution
Clean energy

Clean energy is also known as renewable energy or green energy. Clean energy refers to

energy produced from renewable resources without polluting the environment and does not use

resources that cannot be renewed easily. Clean energy solutions involve products and services

which promote and enhance diversity of supply sources, efficiency in use and helps in reducing

negative environmental effects such as greenhouse gas emissions. Clean energy is a natural

energetic process that can harness with little pollution such as biofuels which is derived from

plants, wind power, solar energy, biomass power, small-scale hydropower and wave power.

Clean energy is the energy that meets the needs of the future without compromising the ability of

the future generations to meet their own needs. Clean energy deals with both the reduced

environmental foot print balanced with increased global demand for energy and energy

independence.

Renewable energy

Renewable energy is energy that comes from natural resources such as sunlight, rain,

wind, tides and geothermal heat. Renewable energy receives great attention as a possible

contributor to solving some of today’s energy challenges. The renewable energy sources

currently provide 25% of the energy supplied and a larger part of this energy is in the form of

biomass energy which is used for heating (Sorensen, 2004).

There are various types of renewable energy which include the solar power, hydropower,

biomass, wind power and geothermal power.

Wind power

Wind power is a clean source of energy and it does not cause pollution and it is a

renewable resource (Benduhn, 2008). Wind occurs when hot air rise and cool air moves in and
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takes its place. The sun heats the air unevenly and hot air rises high and falls towards the ground.

When the moving air creates a spinning effect the spinning air is felt as wind (Sherman, 2004.)

Airflows is used to run wind turbines, the power output of a turbine is a function of the cube of

the wind swiftness. When wind speed increases the power output increases dramatically.

The wind power was first used to push sailboats for thousands of years and also believed

to have been used to pump water almost 4,000 years ago (Sherman, 2004).

Solar power

Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity directly using photovoltaic’s

(PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP). In the concentrated solar power system

lenses or mirrors and tracking systems are used for focusing large area of sunlight into a small

beam. In photovoltaic’s light is converted into electric current using the photoelectric effect.

Solar energy is important to the plants, people and animals in the earth. Without solar the earth

planet will be an icy rock floating in space. Some people use solar panels to heat their homes

(Gibson, 2004).

Hydropower

Hydropower is generated using mechanical energy of flowing water by forcing the water

through a piping called penstock. Hydropower is also referred to hydraulic power or water

power. When water evaporates and comes down as rains and falls back to the ocean the energy

of the water cycle which is driven by sun is tapped to produce electricity which is also known as

hydroelectric power. Hydropower is used for electricity, irrigation and in other various machines.

A micro-hydroelectric power can produce enough electricity to be used at home, ranch and farm.

Hydroelectric power generates about 10% of the nation’s energy.

Biomass
Biomass is biologically from living or recently living organisms such as gas (hydrogen),

alcohol fuels and wood waste. Biomass is a commonly plant matter grown to generate electricity

or build heat. Living biomass is included because Plants also generate electricity while still alive.

Biomass also includes biodegradable wastes that are burnt as fuel. Biomass is hydrogen, carbon

and oxygen based. Nitrogen and small quantities of various atoms like alkali, alkaline earth and

heavy metals are also found in biomass components. Biomass energy is derived from various

energy sources like waste, landfill gases, wood, alcohol fuels and garbage. Biomass can be

converted to usable forms of energy like methane gas or transportation fuels like ethanol and

biodiesel.

Geothermal power

Geothermal energy is produced by heat from the earth and this energy can be used for

machines as well as heat the homes (Morris, 2006). Geothermal electricity is generated from

geothermal energy. When water goes deeper into the earth, the temperature inside the earth rises

making the water hotter, eventually the water turns into steam. The steam and heat rise and

escape through the cracks in the ground forming geothermal energy. The holes that the steam and

heat escape from are called fumaroles (Gibson, 2004).

Conclusion

Clean energy is one of the commodities that humans and animals need in addition to the

basic needs. There are various existing resources of energy available on earth but amongst all of

them hydrogen is considered as the most clean source of energy. Human beings have to use and

conserve energy wisely to make sure plenty of energy is there in the future.
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References

Benduhn, T. (2008). Wind power. New York: Gareth Stevens.

Gibson, D. (2004). Solar power. North Mankato, MN: Black Rabbit Books.

Morris, N. (2006). Geothermal power. North Mankato, MN: Black Rabbit Books.

Sherman, J. (2004). Wind power. North Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.

Sorensen, B. (2004). Renewable energy: Its physics, engineering use, environmental impacts,

economy, and planning aspects. Burlington, MA: Academic Press.

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