Our planet is blessed with a variety of alternative energy resources – many just waiting to be used. Most people immediately think of solar energy which utilises photovoltaic cells to capture energy from the sun and fortunately these cells are becoming more affordable. Solar energy power can be used for electricity, heating, and making hot water plus solar energy produces no pollution, as its input comes completely from the sun’s rays. Although there is still a great deal of work to be done to make this an economically viable solution for the long term. On problem still to be overcome is storage of the collected power for ‘night-time’ use and when there the sunshine is not at its best.

In recent years there has been a great deal of interest in ‘wind farms’ which are being set up around the world normally through private finance. These are huge windmills with two but more often three blades which harness the power of the wind to generate electricity for many communities. Making use of energy and having a windmill to carry out the process is not something that can surprise many.

Of course today’s windmills are much larger than their predecessors and much more advanced. Just like any other methods, using the wind energy has its own hitch such as having to worry what to utilize if ever the days are calm and still. When the wind doesn’t blow we have other power stations that can make up the energy deficit so we cannot, at present use wind farms as a primary source of power.

Another source of alternative energy that can generate an extensive amount of power is accessible in the form of hydroelectric energy. The concept of hydroelectricity is simple – using vast amounts of water and gravity to turn electricity producing turbines. Water is the driving source to power up hydroelectric turbines and since it is readily available everywhere, there couldn’t be much of a problem using it. The main problem with this process is the initial financial cost and the size of these dams means it is a lengthy project which does not come without it’s own issues.

Building of dams is often the most common and effective means of controlling the flow of water to sufficiently provide the source in generating the needed power. These projects require years of planning and work but there are impacts on the environment which conservationists have serious concerns about. To provide the electrical needs of a city or other heavily populated area, certainly a dam is quite essential otherwise, one should settle for something less than that of the dam. There are small run-of-river hydroelectric converters which are good for supplying neighbourhoods or an individual office or home.

However, the most underused and under-rated form of energy is geo-thermal: this is the heat which is generated inside the planet beneath the crust. This heat is transferred into the water from the earth’s inner molten core. Power plants use a number of ways to draw this water to the surface and harness it into ‘free’ energy.

The whole process is designed to utilise the steam that is produced once the superheated water reaches the surface. The Geysers is an example of a dry stream plant located in the region of about 100 miles north of San Francisco and perhaps the best-known of all geothermal power fields.