We use electricity everyday and all day. There are very few activities that we perform daily that do not require electricity in some way. This is the way we live in the 21st century. No matter if you’re at work, at home, relaxing, or on vacation – we use electricity all the time.
RMEDTECHlooked into the areas where we use electricity everyday and there are three main areas: residential, commercial, and transportation.
Residential
Residential uses of electricity refer to everything we do at home. If you look at your day from the time you get up to the time you go to sleep, which activities at home require power? Water heating for showering and washing the dishes. Cooking food on a stove. The kettle for coffee, the toaster, the microwave oven, the fridge and freezer, and whichever other kitchen equipment you use. Your electric razor, your hair dryer, your cell phone charger, and your television. Your internet and computers and all the lights. Shocking, isn’t it? To realise how much we depend on electricity at home.
Residential use of electricity makes up almost half of the energy use in the world. Energy waste occurs a lot in the residential category. This is why calls to conserve energy and use as little as possible are so important. Our resources are running out. By conserving energy and using less electricity daily, you will also be saving yourself some money.
Commercial
Commercial uses of electricity have to do with the energy we use at work. Obviously, different types of businesses use different amounts of energy. Factories and manufacturing companies will likely use more energy than a small office business. However, it is the responsibility of all to help conserve energy. The types of activities that use electricity include computers, copiers, telephones, the internet, projectors, coffee machines, lights, manufacturing equipment, etc.
It can be difficult to reduce energy use in a workplace especially if it may influence production. However, there are options and systems that can help businesses reduce their carbon footprint and also save themselves some energy costs.
Transportation
The third category of energy use is transportation. Almost every type of transport depends on energy. All vehicles run on some sort of fuel that is energy. Trains, buses, personal cars, aeroplanes, and even tractors use fuel and contribute to greenhouse gas emission and energy use. We are all dependent on transportation to travel to work, to the gym, to school, to the doctor, and to the shops. We use transportation everyday.Many cities encourage carpooling, using public transport, and making use of fuel-less transport like bicycles and walking. If we all drive less and walk more, it will already make a difference.
These three areas of energy use make up the majority of the total energy or electricity consumption in the world. The use in each of these categories differ from city to city and country to country, but they all contribute. The only way to reduce the demand for energy is if everyone does their part. You can make changes to your home to be more energy-efficient and you can change transportation habits as well. It doesn’t matter how small you start, as long as you start saving energy.
Alternative Sources of Energy for Homes
Clearly, we as humans rely on electricity a lot and we will find it difficult to get through a day without it. To reduce the demand for fossil fuel energy and help the environment, homeowners can start looking at alternative sources of energy.
Since scientists picked up on the problem of climate change and global warming, the world has been looking for alternative fuel options. These options are called many different things: sustainable energy, alternative fuels, green electricity, etc. The basic idea of sustainable energy is to use sources that do not cause the environment harm and that is renewable or will not run out. Currently, most of the world’s power is generated through the burning of fossil fuels or by nuclear power. Both these sources cause major damage to our planet and also holds dangers for human health.So, sustainable energy sources have been studied and are being refined. Some of these options are already being used on large scale by countries, factories, and businesses and some are also being used on a smaller scale by home owners.
Solar Power – This is one of the energy options that are being used most widely for both private and larger use. Solar panels are placed on top of roofs or in gardens or fields. Solar farms are created in desserts and other areas where there is a lot of sunlight. Smaller solar panels are being used widely for home use.
Wind power– Wind turbines are used to harness the power of the wind and generate electricity. Some countries have built wind turbine farms to generate enough electricity to run parts of the country. The UK is having a lot of success with this type of sustainable energy source.
Water-related power sources – Water has been used to help generate electricity for centuries. There are different ways in which water is used for this purpose. You have hydro power, wave power and tidal power. Wave power works with the waves and many devices have been invented to make use of this, but they are still being refined. Tidal power makes use of the tides of the ocean to generate electricity and could be very successful in the UK if developed further.
Other sources that are being used on a more small-scale basis include geothermal energy, biomass energy, and landfill gas energy.
Some of these methods are still being developed as potential sources of sustainable energy. Some of them also have side effects that are not ideal, but these are generally less severe than the ones we are experiencing with fossil fuels and nuclear power. There is still a long way to go, but in a short time, sustainable energy will no longer be a dream, but a reality.