If you buy something like a car, or a house bigger than you need, like any other item you think you need, you’ll be committing yourself not only to higher energy and gas bills, but you’ll be using more energy and consuming more resources than needed. Is the change really necessary?

Good maintenance usually equals efficiency. If you maintain well functioning appliances, they will reward you with lower energy costs and longer operating lives. For example:

• heating and cooling: change the air filter in your air conditioning unit and periodically tune up your furnace. These actions save energy and money;
• refrigerator: keep the coils on the back of your refrigerator clean. This improves the efficiency of the appliance, the conservation of foods and naturally, saves energy.

You may not be aware but the sun is a primary energy source, directly usable and no one can charge to use it. This is why many developers are focused on creating technologies that make the best use of the power delivered by the light and radiation generated by the star in our solar system.

Nowadays a variety of solar energy technologies exist and are used to convert the sun’s energy and light into energy for domestic use and not only. So installing solar panels is a solution to get clean and cheap energy.

Promote the use of clean energy: if you live in a community check if there are projects financed by the local administration to go green and use clean energy sources. Neighbors’ just need to see a well-laid plan explaining why using renewable energy sources in the long run will be more convenient for them, so go ahead and explain to them.

You can promote the use of clean energy among your friends and you neighbourhood and inform them about the use of solar energy for example, organize initiatives (together with schools) to educate people about the use of more renewable energy.

Wind power is a valid alternative and many locations around the world are using wind-powered turbines to generate electricity for local needs. This alternative source of energy has become a business opportunity for many entrepreneurs also.

Wind-powered energy has generated an excess of power in certain locations such as China, Germany, Australia and some regions in the USA that with these plants selling they’re overproduced to regular energy plants. In any case, the power provided by these alternatives fonts is cleaner than most and very affordable on a family budget.

Another type of energy is the so-called “geothermal energy” which is derived from the heat of the earth. Geothermal power plants are engineered to generate electricity from these heat sources Geothermal energy where these plants are connected to a grid, can be part of a commercial utility energy solution on a large scale or they can be part of a sustainable practice on a local level. Direct use of geothermal energy may, for example, include heating office buildings or manufacturing plants.

Hydropower is another alternative source of clean energy. Generally speaking these plants make use of the kinetic energy of flowing rivers which is converted into hydroelectricity. This type of hydroelectric power is generated by a system where dams are constructed to store water in a reservoir which, when released, flows through turbines to produce electricity.

The direct use of this type of energy, i.e. hydroelectric power, is naturally dependent on geographic location where dams can be built. Assuming a dependable waterway source is accessible and available, micro-hydroelectric plants can be constructed to supply electricity to small communities.

Oceans represent a clean source of energy. With particular technologies it is possible to produce two types of energy: thermal energy from the sun’s heat, and mechanical energy derived from the motion of waves and tides.

• Ocean thermal energy can be converted into electricity employing different techniques that rely on warm surface water temperatures.
• Ocean mechanical energy harnesses the ebbs and flows of tides caused by the rotation of the earth and therefore the gravitational influence of the moon. Noteworthy “ocean energy” is an evolving source of alternative energy production which must be further optimized by scientists. Given that more than 70 percent of the surface of our planet is covered by oceans, the future of this kind of energy looks promising.

It is necessary to transit toward alternative and greener energy sources to shape a more sustainable society and global economy. Today traditional methods to produce energy are being improved while a myriad of new methods of producing clean energy are being explored. Some alternative sources of energy are represented by:

• Bioenergy is a type of renewable energy derived from biomass. It can be used to produce electricity or to produce liquid fuels such as biodiesel.
• Hydrogen is another example and it has the potentiality to be used to produce electricity and also clean fuel. Technologies to transform hydrogen into energy exist, but they need to be refined.

We all can play a role and reduce our impact on the environment using alternative sources of energies such as solar panels for example (where it is possible). This is a delicate theme and we should ask our representatives to take into consideration financing projects aimed at implementing renewable and cleaner sources.