The hubble telescope uses large solar panels to harness the sun's energy and power the equipment on board
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The Original Energy Source
The sun has been an energy source since the beginning
of time. The sun warms the earth and gives us light. We can
capture the sun's energy and use it directly in a solar
cell, or use the heat from the sun to boil water and create
steam used in making electricity. Solar energy, heat from the
sun, can even cook food.
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Ancient
Energy
The gasoline in the car or bus you rode in to school today
was created millions of years ago, when the dinosaurs were
still alive. Back then, like today, plants and animals used
the sun's energy. When they died, their decomposed remains
gradually changed under pressure over the years into types
of potential energy such as coal, oil and natural gas. We
call these energy sources fossil fuels.
Source: Energy Information Administration: 1997
Fossil fuels are the world's most heavily used commercial energy source:
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Old Faithful Geyser,
Yellowstone National Park |
From the Center of the
Earth
"Geo" means earth and "thermal" means
heat. So, geothermal means earth heat. This heat
comes from inside the earth, which is made up of rock so hot
that it's melted. The hot rocks make underground water
boil, producing steam. We can capture this steam with pipes
and use the steam to create electricity. |
Hydroelectric Dam |
You're All Wet
The kinetic energy of moving or falling water is a powerful
source of energy. This energy, known as hydropower, is used to generate electricity. |
Windmill |
Blowing in the Wind
You can't see the wind, but when it blows you can
feel it push against your body.
When the wind blows against big blades on windmills, the movement
of the spinning blades can pump water or produce electricity.
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A Lot of Energy from a
Tiny Source
Nuclear energy is energy "trapped" inside each
atom. When atoms are split apart, they release a tremendous
amount of energy in the form of heat. This energy boils water
to make the steam required to turn a turbine and generate electricity. |
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Fuel from the Forest
Biomass is organic
material such as trees, tree branches, yard clippings and leftover
bark and sawdust from lumber mills that can be burned to produce
energy. Wood from trees is the largest source of biomass energy.
The energy from the sun is stored in trees. This means we can
use wood as fuel to create heat and electricity. |
