NON CONVENTIONAL SOURCE OF ENERGY

 SOLAR ENERGY-

                              THE SUN HAS BEEN RADIATING A LOT OF ENERGY AT THE PRESENT RATE FOR NEARLY 5 BILLION YEARS AND WILL RADIATE AT THAT RATE FOR ABOUT 5 BILLION YEAR MORE . ONLY A LITTLE PART OF SOLAR ENERGY REACHES THE OUTER OTHER LAYER OF THE EARTH ATMOSPHERE . NEARLY ONE HALF IT IS ABSORBED  WHILE PASSING ACROSS THE  ATMOSPHERE AND THE REST REACHES THE EARTH SURFACE . 

A BLACK SURFACE ABSORBS MAXIMUM HEAT AS COMPARED TO A WHITE OR ANY REFLECTING SURFACE UNDER SIMILAR CONDITION . SOLAR COOKER AND SOLAR WATER HEATER USE THIS PROPERTY IN THEIR FUNCTIONING . SOME SOLAR COOKER ATTAIN A HIGHER TEMP. WITH THE HELP OF MIRRORS TO FOCUS TE RAYS OF THE SUN . SOLAR COOKER ARE COVERED WITH A GLASS PLATE COVERING .

THE PRINCIPAL ADVANTAGES RELATED WITH SOLAR CELLS ARE THAT THEY HAVE NO MOVING PARTS, NEED A LITTLE MAINTENANCE AND WORK QUITE SATISFY  IS THAT THEY CAN BE SET UP IN INACCESSIBLE AND REMOTE HAMLETS OR VERY SPARSELY IN HABITAT AREA IN WHICH LAYING OF POWER TRANSMISSION LINE MAY BE COSTLY AND NOT VIABLE COMMERCIALLY . 

ENERGY FROM THE SEA - 

TIDAL ENERGY -

                                  DUE TO THE GRAVITATIONAL FORCE  OF MAINLY THE MOON ON THE SPINING EARTH , THE WATER LEVEL IN THE SEA RISES AND FALLS .  IF YOU LIVE NEAR THE SEA OR EVER TRAVEL TO SOME PLACE CLOSE TO THE SEA , TRY AND OBSERVE HOW THE SEA - LEVEL CHANGES DURING THE DAY . THIS PHENOMENA IS KNOWN AS HIGH AND LOW TIDES AND THE DIFFERENCE IN SEA LEVEL PROVIDE US TIDAL ENERGY . TIDAL ENERGY IS HARNESSED BY BUILDING A DAM ACROSS IN NARROW OPENING TO THE SEA. A TURBINE FIXED AT THE OPENING OF THE DAM CHANGES TIDAL ENERGY TO ELECTRICITY .  

WAVE ENERGY -     

                          THE KINETIC ENERGY PRESENT IN HUGE WAVES NEAR THE SEA - SHORE CAN BE TRAPPED IN SIMILAR MANNER TO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY . THE WAVES ARE CREATED BY STRONG WIND ACROSS THE SEA . WAVE ENERGY WOULD BE A VIABLE PROPOSITION ONLY WHERE WAVES ARE VERY FAST MOVING OR STRONG . A WIDE VARIETY DEVICES HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO OBSERVE WAVE ENERGY FOR ROTATION OF TURBINE AND GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY . 

OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY - 

                             THE WATER AT THE SURFACE OF THE OCEAN OR SEA IS HEATED BY THE SUN WHILE THE WATER IN DEEPER SECTION IS RELATIVELY COLD. THIS DIFFERENCE IN TEMPERATURE IS EXPLOITED TO GET ENERGY IN OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION PLANTS. THESE PLANTS CAN WORK IF THE  TEMPERATURE CHANGE BETWEEN THE WATER AT THE SURFACE AND DEPTHS UP TO 2 KM IS 293 K OR MORE . THE WARM SURFACE THE WATER IS USED TO BOIL A VOLATILE LIQUID SUCH AS AMMONIA. THE VAPOURS ARE LIQUID ARE THEN USED THE ROTATE THE TURBINE OF GENERATOR. THE COLD WATER OBTAIN FROM THE DEPTH OF THE OCEAN IS PUMPED UP AND AGAIN CONDENSE VAPOUR INTO LIQUID . 

 THE ENERGY POTENTIAL FROM THE SEA IS LARGE, BUT EFFICIENT COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION IS DIFFICULT.