Discovery of electricity
Static electricity was the first step. Six centuries BC, Thales , a Greek scholar, discovered it almost by chance, while rubbing a piece of amber on a fabric.
Nuclear energy
Then it was not until the 19th century that the continuation of the discovery of electricity took place. Volta invents the battery, while Ampère creates the electromagnet, which will then be used to develop the telegraph, thus making it possible to send messages in Morse code. Then it was the French physicist Henri Becquerel who discovered radioactivity in 1896, which allowed Pierre and Marie Curie to in turn discover polonium and radium in 1898. Radioactivity is a natural phenomenon, and the successive work of researchers and physicists found a way to manufacture it artificially, giving birth to nuclear energy.
Other sources of energy
Nuclear power plants were then the ideal solution for producing electricity on a large scale. This massive energy production enabled the growth of industry, transport and means of communication. Giant steps have been made in this way, but we have had to realize that nuclear energy pollutes and exhausts the planet's resources. Environmental concerns are now pushing us to turn to less polluting production methods that consume less natural resources. Man therefore began to research different ways of producing electricity, using sources other than radioactivity, such as water, wind, the sun, biomass or even the heat of the earth's depths. . This is how the notion of renewable energies appeared
Electricity production: solutions
Large-scale electricity production is essential to cover the energy needs of populations and to meet the needs of industry and transport. However, individual production solutions are emerging, which make it possible to reduce the pressure on large production and which above all allow households to access a certain form of energy autonomy.
Large-scale electricity production
The most efficient solution for generating electricity on a large scale remains the nuclear power plant. The thermal power plant, in particular, produces steam to use its power. But to produce such a quantity of steam, it is necessary to burn fossil fuels, such as gas, coal or oil. This combustion pollutes and depletes our fossil energy resources. Other forms of electricity production exist, such as the hydraulic power plant, which uses the power of water, either naturally, through a waterfall, a river, or by using currents. marine, or through a dam where the used water is stored. The geothermal power plant, moreover, draws heat from the bowels of the earth to produce electricity.
Individual electricity production
It is also possible to generate electricity from home. Virtuous solutions exist that allow you to achieve energy independence without polluting.
Photovoltaic panels
They represent the most used solution until now for doing your own electricity. The sun's rays are obviously a renewable energy, since using them does not deplete them. Photovoltaic panels capture solar energy to convert it into electricity and power the home.
The individual wind turbine
Wind is another renewable energy that can be used to make electricity. When blowing, the wind drives the blades of the wind turbine, which activates a generator. There are horizontal or vertical wind turbines, depending on the orientation of the axis of rotation. Vertical axis wind turbines can more easily be installed in cities. However, their efficiency is lower than horizontal wind turbines and consequently, the cost of their installation takes longer to amortize.
Domestic methanization
Domestic anaerobic digestion makes it possible to use organic household waste to produce electricity. The installation of a domestic methanizer is necessary to produce biogas from biomass. Biomass is made up of organic waste represented by plants, wood shavings, compostable household waste or even soiled litter from the henhouse. Stored in the methanizer, this waste ferments and thus produces methane. This biogas can then be used to power the water heater, gas stove, forced air heaters or any other appliances that run on gas. This solution also has the advantage of producing an excellent quality substrate for garden vegetables.
Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy uses heat from deep within the earth. It is thus possible to heat an individual home or to heat the water in the sanitary network by exploiting the surface heat of the ground or that of groundwater. We speak of surface geothermal energy or low energy geothermal energy, as opposed to medium and high energy geothermal energy. Surface geothermal energy concerns domestic projects. It is used to supply heating and hot water to individual homes or buildings. The heat is recovered by heat pumps at a depth of less than 200 meters and is between 15 and 20°.
Solutions that make it possible to generate electricity continue to develop. However, it is still complicated to free ourselves from fossil fuels in large-scale production. On the other hand, as an individual, it is no longer marginal to produce and consume your own electricity, and even your own electricity, since this is often produced without polluting or using fossil fuels.
0 Comments