Sustainable energy is obtained from natural resources that do not run out nor have harmful effects on the environment. With increased concern of global warming and depleting energy resources, governments are looking for environmentally friendly alternative sources of energy. Geothermal energy, water and wind have been used to operate machinery and generate power since ancient times. Sustainable energy resources are considered great alternative sources of energy. HydropowerThis energy is obtained from rivers and other water bodies. It is created through the action of turbines connected to generators. Hydropower was used for irrigation and operation of machinery before its commercial application.Historically, water wheels and mills have been used to grind grains and produce flour. Today, producing mass amounts of electricity from hydropower plants is considered difficult and expensive. There is increased concern that hydropower plants affect wildlife and quality of water used to create the energy.Geothermal PowerThis energy is generated using steam and hot water from deep below the earth's crust. The steam and hot water turns turbines, which generates electric currents. One of the most common uses of geothermal energy is heating buildings. However, geothermal energy is not available on a wide scale because geothermal land sites are limited.There are also concerns that geothermal land sites may deplete. Some of the largest geothermal fields in the world are in the Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. Geothermal power is considered sustainable energy because of its low emissions. Production of geothermal energy is not affected by the weather and can work continuously during the day or night. There are also concerns that geothermal energy production affects the stability of geothermal land sites.WindWind is used to create energy through the rotation of large propellers around a hub. Windmill blades slow down captured wind speeds and channel the wind to generators that produce electricity.Worldwide wind energy usage is very small because the technology is costly and machinery noisy. Few wind energy firms produce electricity. Most of the electricity produced by these firms is sold to public utilities. Wind energy does not generate any form of pollution and can be used to power homes, ranches and farms.SolarThis is another form of sustainable energy. Photovoltaic cells in solar panels can capture the sun's rays and use them to generate electricity. The sun is the oldest source of electricity.Solar power generation gained popularity after the 1973 energy crisis. However, solar energy is still considered expensive due to the high costs associated with the production of photovoltaic-celled solar panels needed to generate energy.Solar panels can take up a lot of space. Solar energy is also considered inconsistent. It requires large surface areas to generate electricity on a mass scale. Despite these setbacks, solar power is being used to power cars, homes and farm equipment.HydrogenThis is another energy resource that is considered sustainable. Hydrogen is a common element and can be used to produce unlimited amount of energy using water and electricity. For a long time, hydrogen was considered too dangerous to work with. Today, it is considered a great source of fuel for vehicles. It does not produce emissions when used in its purest form. Only water is produced as a by-product.More research is needed before hydrogen can be used on a global scale. If hydrogen power is produced using other sustainable energy sources, it will decrease over reliance on fossil fuels as energy resources.Sustainable energy sources include wind, water, solar and biomass among others. Many government and non-government agencies fund sustainable energy research and development. Technology has progressed to allow homeowners to use sustainable energy resources in their homes.Author Bio: Claire Anderson is a supplier of wood pellet suppliers Northern Ireland wide. She believes that biomass boilers and solar panels are the energy choices of the future.
