WHAT IT IS​

Energy is the power which may be converted into motion, overcoming resistance, or effecting physical change. It is symbolized by the uppercase English alphabet, "E".

According to the Law of Conversion of Energy, energy can neither be created nor destroyed by itself; it can only be transformed or converted. Energy can be in various forms, including thermal, chemical, electric, radiant, nuclear, magnetic, elastic, sound, mechanical, and/or the more famous E=mc2 mass form. The E=mc2 formula, in simple terms, explains that Energy (E) is equal to Mass (m) at the speed of light in a vacuum (c).

All man-made one-to-one energy conversion systems are never 100% efficient. For example, only an average of about 30% the total average solar radiant energy is converted to useful electrical energy in photovoltaic/solar panels. The rest is converted into undesired energy forms, such as thermal/heat and other types of energy forms, due to various inefficiencies in factors like conversion and/or even due to factors such as resistance in conduction. Other types of conversions methods have their own different efficiencies. The chart below explains the situation in current man-made energy conversion systems:

The above does not apply to naturally occurring energy conversion, such as that of during lightning, where a certain degree of the energy released is converted to radiant, heat, sound, and other forms of energy. This is because in nature, there are no undesired energy forms; energy is converted to various forms by the laws of nature, and all forms are put to use in various natural cycles.

These forms of energy can be classified into two basic types, namely Potential energy and Kinetic energy. The initial type refers to energy that is stored, while the latter refers to moving energy. For instance, mass has potential energy as it can be turned into kinetic energy when it is dropped over the edge of a surface, if the force of gravity exists. That same mass is kinetic energy as it falls through the air and potential energy when it’s back resting on a surface.

These forms of energy, which mostly go unnoticed in our daily routines, act all around us – and even inside us, over our entire lifetime, and the lifetime of the universe. Most of us are more familiar with electrical energy which we unnoticeably convert to heat energy, luminous energy, sound energy, and many other forms to do a wide variety of things from lighting our house, to the making of a great variety of products. The human body itself continuously converts chemical energy into kinetic, sound, thermal, and even to electric energy up to a certain degree.

This site aims to put forward the most environmentally friendly and sustainable approaches to convert common forms of energy into electrical energy, or more commonly known as electricity, which can then be utilized to put an end to a wide range of current global issues such as those relating to poverty, food production, water supply, manufacturing, and much more.

 

 

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References:

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http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter01.html
http://www.nmsea.org/Curriculum/Primer/forms_of_energy.htm
http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=about_forms_of_energy-basics
http://www.emersonindustrial.com/en-en/controltechniques/downloads/referencematerial/Pages/howdrivessaveenergy.aspx