Zero Is The New Black

Sustainable energy is one of the most widely developed forms of energy on the planet. With concerns that non renewable resources, such as fossil fuels, will be completely depleted, research and development has gone into sustainable energy in hopes of protecting the environment and having a viable source of electricity for future generations.

Sustainable energy comes in many forms. Solar power, wind power, and wave power are among the three most commonly pursued types. Geothermal energy, which is only available in some parts of the world, is also a very successful source of sustainable energy.

If you wish to help the environment and lower your costs of electricity, investing in sustainable energy may be for you. There are many ways that you can get involved in the sustainable energy movement, if you are willing to make lifestyle changes. One way is to invest in solar powering for your sustainable homes. While not all locations are suitable for solar power, installing solar panels in your home can help lower the amount of energy you pull from major power grids. With the proper system and enough space, you can even feed energy back into the power grid, resulting in energy companies paying you for the energy that you provide. Unfortunately, wind and water based sustainable energy is out of the reach of most home owners. However, if you live on a country property with fast moving streams, you may be able to install a water wheel or a small windmill to help generate energy for your sustainable homes.

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to thrive on only sustainable energy. While there is efforts to make electric and hybrid cars, as well as cars that can function on high percentages of ethanol, thee vehicles are still extremely expensive and the technology is still in development. However, purchasing a car with a high mileage rate can significantly lower the amount of energy you consume. If you do a lot of short distance driving, a pure electric car coupled with solar power can nullify the amount of non renewable energy you consume. However, electric cars still do not have sufficient battery life to handle more than short distance driving.

There is a great deal that needs to be learned about sustainable energy, and how transitional energies can be used while good sustainable options are under development. If everyone does their part, a solution can be found before the future generations suffer from the decisions made by the current generation.

Timothy Greensland
sustainable building and design