The research for cheaper and more efficient sources of renewable energies is actively being done. Wind power solar power offer alternate sources of energy that can slowly replace the current sources like coal, oil and natural gas.
Wind energy by converting wind energy into a source of energy that can be used for human consumption. This requires wind turbines or windmills, which convert the form of energy in to electricity or mechanical power. The turbines are located on top of high steel towers tall enough to capture high seed winds. High-speed winds turn the blades of the turbines and the internal components of the generators convert the kinetic energy into electrical energy, the higher the rotation per minute, the higher amount of electricity is generated.
The popularity of this technology is increasing by leaps and bounds with new inventions like micro turbines being designed on a smaller scale for single buildings. These micro turbines will replace the towers of wind turbines and can easily fit on top of buildings even in urban areas. These turbines are placed in tandem sets and designed to spin at the rate of a few miles per hour.
Solar wind power is derived from the charged particles emanating from the sun’s atmosphere. According some researchers if we can tap into this energy it can prove enough to power the entire earth. Research is still ongoing on how to effectively tap into this source of energy and make it available for use on earth. Meanwhile, efforts are being made to combine solar cells and wind powered turbines to convert it into usable electrical energy for industries and homes.
A hybrid of solar and wind turbine technology has been installed at some places. This includes two different plants, one that uses solar cells plant and other that uses wind-powered turbines. In this case, the generation of electricity does not have to depend on either one of the sources. In addition, the wind action tends to cool down the overheated solar cells which increases the efficiency if electricity generation.
One of the main challenges is the storage of electricity generated from wind power and solar wind power. There needs to be a cost-effective way to store this energy without frequent discharging. This large-scale storage could expand the versatile of the energy derived from both wind power and solar wind power.
With the increasing burden on natural oils and coal for production of energy, the promise of wind power and solar wind power technology offers an efficient alternative. These alternatives serve distinct advantages and hope to satisfy the lighting needs of buildings, can be used to power appliances and most importantly reduce the emission of harmful gases.
More research is still needed to improve the yield of energy from these sources. This technology is still more expensive than traditional sources of energy and until scientists find a more cost-effective and efficient way to derive energy, its installation and usage will remain limited.