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Renewable Energy 101

A clean future requires renewable and sustainable energy solutions

Wind


Wind power uses air flow through wind turbines to mechanically power generators for electricity. Wind power, as an alternative to burning fossil fuels, is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation, consumes no water, and uses little land.

a group of clouds in the sky
a close up of a pier next to a body of water

Solar


A solar cell is like a sandwich. The top is for protection, the bottom is its base, but the real action takes place in the middle which is made of silicon. When Photons (the fundamental particle of sunlight) hit a silicon atom, they easily break the weak bond between the nucleus and its electrons. Now free, the electrons travel to the top of the silicon layer of the cell where they move in a current along metal conductive strips and along wires to the electrical grid.

NATURAL GAS


The process of producing electricity from natural gas is a two-for-one technology. First, the gas is combined with oxygen to create a fireball that passes through turbines (much like a wind turbine) to create electricity. The exhaust gas is then pumped into another area where it is cooled with water. The steam created then goes through a another turbine to produce even more electricity.

a bridge over a body of water with a city in the background