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	Renewable Energy Solar Power A tiny of the Sun's energy will supply our power needs many times over. Wind Energy Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into more useful forms.

	Environmentally Clean Energy Hydrogen Fuel Cells Hydrogen is considered a very promising candidate for alternate fuel. Biofuel Biodiesel is safe, biodegradable, and reduces air pollutants. Methanol/Ethanol Methanol and ethanol have long been considered for fuels.

Solar Power Renewable Alternate Energy

The term solar power is used to describe a number of methods of harnessing energy from the light of the Sun. It has been present in many traditional building methods for centuries, but has become of increasing interest in developed countries as the environmental costs and limited supply of other power sources such as fossil fuels are realized. It is already in widespread use where other power supplies are absent, such as in remote locations and in space.

Just the tiny fraction of the Sun's energy that hits the Earth (around a hundredth of a millionth of a percent) is enough to meet all our power needs many times over. Check out this website to read more about available research and devices.

In fact, every minute, enough energy arrives at the Earth to meet our demands for a whole year - if only we could harness it properly.

Direct solar power involves only one transformation into a usable form. For example, sunlight hits a photovoltaic cell (also called a photoelectric cell) creating electricity.

Indirect solar power involves more than one transformation to reach a usable form. Many other types of power generation are indirectly solar-powered. Some of these are so indirect that they are often excluded from discussion of solar power: Vegetation uses photosynthesis to convert solar energy to chemical energy, which can later be burned as fuel to generate electricity (see biofuel). Methane (natural gas) and hydrogen may be derived from the biofuel.

Solar power has its own distinct advantages over other types of fuel.

• Solar power is free
• Solar power is always available
• Solar powered devices can operate with little/no maintenance after setup
• Solar panels have no moving parts
• Solar panels have an extremely long lifetime
• Does not require an electricity grid to be in use
• Eliminates the need for battery power during times of sunlight

Solar power has a few disadvantages compared to other energy sources.

• Not available at night and in reduced light (from clouds)
• For transportation technologies, it must be converted to some other form of energy suitable for engines
• Solar cell technology produces DC power, which must be changed into AC power when used in electric grids