Wind Turbines, Solar Panels and Wave Turbines

Fossil fuels are one day going to dry up, so we must start looking now for alternative and renewable sources of energy so that we can maintain our lifestyles. Fossil fuels may last for years to come, but we must be prepared when the oil stops pumping.

Alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric are thought to be the forerunners in clean energy. Developing their technology so that the price of energy is lower than fossil fuels will be important for weaning us off of fossil fuels.

Other types of renewable energy are also being developed, and many of them seem very promising. One of these energies is wave energy, which is garnering much excitement for powering cities in coastal regions.

Waves are one of the densest forms of energy in nature, so with a relatively small power plant you can generate a lot of power. Wave energy also doesn’t stop, unlike power from the wind or sun might.

A country famous for its beaches and surfing, Australia, already has many of these wind generators powering its cities.

A wave power plant exists off the coast of a city just south of Sydney, about 100 yards off the coast. It produces enough energy to power 500 homes and desalinates enough water to supply those homes with fresh drinking water, as well. It weighs about 500 tons.

It is built to survive almost any major storm, though it is fairly small in size. It produces about 500kW of power and it cost $4.7 million to create.

Wave energy is still fairly expensive, but many experts believe that as its technology develops it may have the best chance of any alternative energy to become less expensive than fossil fuels.

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