Traditional, fossil fuels like oil, coal and natural gas are a limited resource. As they get harder to find and extract from the ground the price to use these resources will go up. This trend will continue if more resources continue to be used. And this is not the only cost of using fossil fuels. They are thought to contribute to environmental problems like global warming and destroying the ozone layer that will be paid for by future generations. So what other options do we have to these traditional sources of energy creation. This article will cover a few of the alternative energy sources that are being touted as practical solutions both commercially and for the individual homeowner.

The first alternative energy source to be covered is solar energy. It has been around for quite a while now and most people have seen the odd solar panel on a neighbors roof. In fact, mankind has always used the Sun's energy in one form or another for thousands of years but only in the last 50 years has it really taken off as we know it now.

Currently we use the Sun's heat and light to get usable energy.

Heat energy provided by the sun is used for many things like heating water, heating a room or cooking food. As we can feel the heat provided to by the Sun, the inspiration for using it as a renewable energy resource was not a great leap. In reality, the Sun was used by many of these civilizations not only as an energy resource but also as a god, indicating the importance that they gave it.

Getting energy out of sunlight is still a fairly new development by comparison. The technology developed to do this is called the photovoltaic (PV) cell. The concept was first demonstrated in Victorian times but it was only first produced on a commercial basis in the 1970's.

The principle behind it is that photons in sunlight hit the PV cell causing an electron to be displaced from the atom. Many cells and more sunlight cause more electrons to flow. This is the basis of direct current. Direct current can be used to power appliances (that run on DC), stored in a battery or converted to alternating current (AC).

Another popular option in terms of renewable energy is the use of wind power. I think this is because it is fairly well understood by most people as a concept. It may also be because plenty of wind turbines are popping up all over the countryside.

A wind turbine is a towering structure that uses the power of the wind to turn a number blades. The kinetic energy is utilized by the generator to create electricity. Many developed countries that have the available wind power are creating more and more turbines each year. They promise to deliver clean and cheaper ways to create energy.

Wind turbines or windmills can even be built in residential homes at a reasonable cost. It is quite simple to build a windmill or turbine from scratch or a pre-built variety can be purchased. Before this is done, it is important to ascertain the amount of wind you get and have a clear unobstructed place for the turbine to go. You may also want to notify your neighbors that you are erecting a turbine as it could be an issue with some people.

Other systems use water as the primary source of energy, utilizing the kinetic energy to create electricity. This is hydro-power and a dam is an obvious example of this process in action. Geothermal energy can also be used to some extent. This is using the heat from the earths core to heat water which can be turned into steam that can turn a generator or be used as is.