In light of recent events around the world, renewable energy products are becoming more desirable with the passing of each and every day. Oil prices are skyrocketing due to fluctuating foreign diplomatic relations and also as a direct result of disasters such as the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Environmental concerns are also creating a need for alternative energy sources, so greater numbers of individuals are seeking renewable energy products to power their homes and/or vehicles, or simply to provide back up power should commercial energy be unobtainable for a multitude of reasons.
Renewable Energy Products to Produce Electricity
Within recent years there has been a great deal of interest in renewable energy products which can produce energy to be converted to electricity. These products are usually solar, wind or hydro (water) operated mechanisms that harness natural energy as direct current. In order to be utilized as electricity, direct current needs to be converted to alternating current through use of an inverter. These inverters can come in the form of grid-tie inverters or off-grid inverters. As the names would imply, an off grid inverter is used to convert renewable energy to electricity for local use (i.e. home, industry, schools, etc.) while grid-tie inverters would send energy produced into the power grid to be utilized by the community at large. The decision on whether or not to tie into a power grid is based on the available amount of natural energy which can be harvested.
Renewable Energy Products to Produce Fuel
Fossil fuel is not only becoming scarcer and more expensive, but it has a devastating impact on the environment in terms of both pollution as well as global warming. For this reason there is considerable emphasis being placed on finding alternative sources such as renewable energy products like biomass. Ethanol is, without a doubt, one of the most widely used biomass renewable energy products at the moment; this is evidenced in the fact that many gasoline products are at least 10% ethanol. It is a bioalcohol that is manufactured from:
Forestry Crops and Residues
Agricultural Crops and Residues
Sewage
Solid Waste (Municipal and County)
Animal Residues
Industrial Residues
Unfortunately, it takes energy to manufacture biomass so there is still a certain degree of nonrenewable energy involved in the equation. However, it is worth noting that the amount of fossil fuel required to manufacture biomass is minimal compared to the amount of fossil fuel that would otherwise be utilized.
Because the future of fossil fuels both in availability and price is so uncertain, finding ways to power homes, businesses and vehicles is becoming all the more important. Renewable energy products can be purchased that can help provide alternative sources of power, for primary as well as back-up usage. At the moment these products can be a bit pricey, but as with any other new technology, prices can be expected to fall as improvements are made and products become more available.
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