What is Sustainable Energy?

Today's news records that again the leaders of the western world cannot agree on a what should be our approach to climate change and carbon trading. Politically it is unpopular, yet the average person knows that we each must take some responsibility to change our approach. The trouble is working out where to start. My suggestion is to begin looking for sustainable energy sources. The fact is we don't have to start big, we can each do our small part, and it is as we each do our own small part that we will make a difference.

We have all heard about sustainable sources of energy, but what really are they talking about? Well, in a nutshell, it is about harnessing clean sources of energy that won't run out.

The authorities all admit that the supply of oil (and to a lesser extent coal) that we use for most of our energy needs, is running out. These fossil fuels are not renewable, they will continue to get scarcer and more expensive till there is none left. Therefore to maintain our culture we need to find a cleaner alternative that will last forever.

The two best and most available sources, are solar power and wind power.

Solar power is generated by the sun and collected by using panels that will absorb the power and convert it into electricity. It can be used as it is generated or stored in batteries for later use.

Wind power is converted to electricity using modern windmills called wind turbines. Over recent years many of these wind farms have grown up which produce enough power to be fed into the commercial grid.

Both of these sources are now available to the average household to use to generate your own power. However, both sources have both positives and negatives..

Solar energy would works better in some areas than others, and has proven itself in the Australian context, especially when connected to hot water services. The downside is that it won't generate any electricity when the sun goes down and the cost of batteries for storage is still prohibitive.

Wind power, on the other hand, can be used by many more regions and it available both day and night. There is virtually no where on Earth that doesn't get wind at some time, though some places are windier than others. The downside to this form of energy is that you need to purchase a wind turbine to generate electricity which can take up quite a bit of space and cost quite a bit.

Realistically we have made many advances in recent years making these a viable options now. It is encouraging to note that much research is still going on and most of the scientific community accept that this is the best way forward. If we start taking responsibility for ourselves and begin utilizing these renewable sources we will not only be saving money, but also doing our part to save the world.