Energy
Generation
To generate energy, we must have some source to generate energy
from. While energy is everywhere, only certain sources can be efficiently
used.
Energy
Sources
Following
is a table of the most common sources of energy that are available
to us today. These sources have been categorized into the 10 types
of energy.
Chemical |
Wood
Coal
Oil
Natural Gas
Hydrogen (Fuel Cells)
|
Occasionally
Used
Extensively Used
Extensively Used
Extensively Used
Being Developed |
Power Plant
Power Plant
Home Heating |
PE
|
Gravitational |
Hydro |
Extensively
Used |
Power
Plant |
PE |
Nuclear |
Uranium
(Fission)
Heavy Water (Fusion)
|
Extensively
Used
Being Developed |
Power
Plant |
PE |
Kinetic |
Wind |
Alternative |
Power
Plant |
KE |
Light |
Solar |
Alternative |
Power
Plant |
KE |
Heat |
Geothermal |
Alternative |
|
KE |
As you can
see, useful sources have not been found for all 10 types of energy.
Some sources are used a lot in our modern world, while others are
still being developed.
Fuel cells
and fusion are being researched for future use, while wind, solar,
and geothermal have been around for years but have not been cheap
enough to be used extensively. These available but not yet competitive
sources (like solar) are often called alternative energy sources.
Note that the
potential energy sources can be stored for future use. Oil from
your home storage tank can sit for years until it is needed. The
kinetic energy sources must be used as they are available since
they cannot be stored. Once the sunshine or solar energy hits the
ground, it no longer can be collected by a solar panel.
Also, some
of these sources tend to be used to produce energy (or power - more
on this later) in large power plants that produce electrical energy.
While electrical energy is kinetic and cannot be stored, it can
be easily distributed long distances to where it is needed, to industrial
plants or to your home.
|