# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Do you look forward to the day when you'll be able to drive your own car? Just think of the freedom! You'll be able to go where you want whenever you want! Of course, there's one downside to that freedom: you'll have to pay to fill up your gas .

With the price of gasoline inching upward year after year, you might start thinking more and more about renewable sources of . After all, fossil fuels will one day be gone. Future generations must develop new technologies that will allow them to harness renewable sources to be able to continue to our modern lives.

You're probably aware of some popular renewable sources, such as wind and hydroelectric power. Did you realize, though, that there's a source of renewable right underneath your feet? What are we talking about? Geothermal , of course!

Geothermal gets its name from the Greek words "geo" and "therme," which mean "earth" and "heat." Simply put, geothermal is in the form of heat inside the Earth. Did you realize that there's heat inside the Earth? In fact, the farther you go inside the Earth, the hotter it gets.

Earth's inner can reach temperatures approaching 10,800º F. That's about the same temperature as the surface of the Sun! Between the inner and the surface of the Earth, there are thousands of miles of countless layers of superheated substances, including rock, water, and steam.

Evidence of geothermal can be seen on Earth's surface in many areas. Volcanoes that , geysers that shoot steam and hot water into the sky, and hot springs that offer a soothing are all examples of the heat inside the Earth rising to its surface.

Some of the heat within the Earth is a of the events that formed the Earth over four billion years ago. The remainder of the heat comes from the of radioactive elements deep inside the Earth.

Those who research and develop geothermal seek to tap these sources of heat inside the Earth to both heat homes directly and generate electricity. Since the inside of the Earth keeps producing heat, geothermal is a renewable source that can be relied upon for the foreseeable future.

In areas with hot springs or geothermal reservoirs near the surface, hot water can be pumped directly to homes and businesses to heat them. In other areas, geothermal heat pumps circulate water through loops of pipes buried in the ground where the temperature stays a 50º-60º F all the time. These systems can both heat homes and businesses in the winter and cool them in the summer.

Engineers have even found ways to pipe steam and hot water from deep underground to geothermal power plants to produce electricity. Compared to other types of , geothermal is considered to be more , cost-effective, and cleaner than burning fossil fuels. Today, the United States is the world's largest producer of geothermal , but experts believe that current production levels are only the tip of the iceberg of what is possible.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Do you look forward to the day when you'll be able to drive your own car? Just think of the freedom! You'll be able to go where you want whenever you want! Of course, there's one downside to that freedom: you'll have to pay to fill up your gas .

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Can you imagine on Earth without the Sun? It might be fun for about an hour. You could play an awesome game of flashlight tag with your friends and then tell stories around a fire.

Before long, though, it wouldn't be so fun. You'd soon need to keep a fire going around the clock, because Earth would become a much colder place without the Sun's . In addition, food would become scarce over time, since plants wouldn't grow without the sunlight they need for photosynthesis .

The Sun's also powers Earth's and, through evaporation , the water . What Earth would be like without these processes working properly is anyone's guess. It's safe to say that on Earth wouldn't exist very long if the Sun went out.

Scientists have long known that the Sun makes on Earth possible. We use the Sun's in many different ways. But just how does the Sun produce all that ? To find out, we need to get to the heart of the matter and travel all the way to the Sun's .

Unlike Earth, which is made up mostly of , rock, water, and many other elements, the Sun is made up primarily of hydrogen gas. The Sun is similar to Earth in one way, however: its is by far its hottest part.

In addition to intense , there is an incredible amount of at the Sun's . In fact, the vast amounts of hydrogen atoms in the Sun's are compressed and heated so much that they fuse together.

This reaction, known as , converts hydrogen atoms into helium. The by-product of in the Sun's is a massive volume of that gets released and radiates outward toward the surface of the Sun and then into the solar system beyond it.

The reaction that occurs in the Sun's is similar to the reaction that produces the mighty explosion in a hydrogen bomb. Of course, the reactions that occur in the Sun's are almost-infinitely more powerful than a hydrogen bomb. So why doesn't the Sun explode?

The outward created by the reactions in the Sun's are balanced by the inward created by the gravitational force of all the gases that surround the . Stars can and do collapse or explode if the reactions at their cores become too weak or too strong.

Fortunately for those of us living on Earth, the Sun's outward and inward pressures are nicely balanced, resulting in a stream of coming our way. Of all the that the Sun produces, scientists estimate that Earth receives only about two billionths of it.

Of that amount, about a third is reflected back into space by clouds and snow. A little over 40% warms Earth, while about 25% is used by the water . Winds and ocean currents absorb about 1%, while all the plants on Earth use only about 0.023% for photosynthesis !

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Can you imagine on Earth without the Sun? It might be fun for about an hour. You could play an awesome game of flashlight tag with your friends and then tell stories around a fire. Before long, though, it wouldn't be so fun.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Today's Wonder of the Day was inspired by Marissa from Bay City, MI. Marissa Wonders, " How do wind farms work? " Thanks for WONDERing with us, Marissa!

What do you think of when you hear the word "farm"? Animals? Vegetables? Tractors? Farmers? Would you believe there are farms without any of those things? It's true! What are we talking about? Wind farms!

Wind farms are areas where many large wind have been grouped together. They "" the power of the wind. These large look a bit like super-tall windmills.

A large wind farm can have hundreds of wind spread out over hundreds of miles. The land between the may be used for other purposes, such as regular farming. Some wind farms are also located near bodies of water. There, they take advantage of winds that blow across lakes or oceans.

Did you know that wind energy is actually another form of energy? Earth's shape and rotation work with the Sun's uneven heating of the atmosphere to make winds.

Wind farms are built in areas known to be especially windy on a regular basis. The winds turn the blades of the . Then, the turn the energy of the wind into mechanical power. Generators then turn the mechanical power into electricity . That electricity is then used to power homes.

You can think of a wind turbine as the of a fan. A fan uses electricity to make wind. Wind do the : they use the wind to make electricity ! As the wind turns the blades of a wind turbine, the blades cause a shaft to spin. The spinning shaft connects to a that creates electricity .

Are you wondering why scientists looked to the wind as an energy source? There are plenty of good reasons. Wind energy is free and . Unlike most power plants, wind farms don't emit or greenhouse gases.

However, wind farms can cost a lot of money to set up. Over time, though, their cost is competitive with other types of generating systems. Unfortunately, you can't make the wind blow whenever you want it to. That means wind farms can't always meet electricity needs on demand.

Over time, scientists believe new technologies will make wind power even more popular. They believe people may one day store wind power in batteries for on-demand use. Wind power already accounts for about 3% of the United States' electricity . Experts believe wind power will account for 20% of the nation's electricity by 2030.

CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6, CCRA.R.1, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.4, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.SL.1, CCRA.W.4, NGSS.ESS3.A

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Today's Wonder of the Day was inspired by Marissa from Bay City, MI. Marissa Wonders, " How do wind farms work? " Thanks for WONDERing with us, Marissa! What do you think of when you hear the word "farm"? Animals? Vegetables? Tractors? Farmers? Would you believe there are farms without any of those things?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Do you ever take things for ? For instance, think about your morning routine. When you wake up, do you flip on a light? Grab your lunch from the refrigerator? Turn on the TV until you leave for school? Most people don't think much about these actions. They take it for that flipping a switch will make these things come on!

However, many things must happen for these devices to work. For starters, you need electricity flowing to the outlets and switches in your house. Without electricity , lamps, refrigerators, and TVs would be useless.

Where does your electricity come from? Some people get electricity from -burning power plants. Others get electricity from solar panels. Some use wind turbines. Some people even get electricity from water! This is called hydroelectricity .

Hydroelectric power is made by flowing water. If you live near a river that has dams, you might use hydroelectricity . So just how does a use water to make electricity ?

It's actually fairly simple. Hydroelectric and power plants make electricity in similar ways. Both use a machine called a . They use a power source to turn the 's propellers. As the spins, it turns a metal connected to an electric . This is basically a motor that produces electricity .

In the case of a hydroelectric , flowing water is used as the power source to turn the . Hydroelectric dams have a special passageway for water. These passages are sloped downward to create a flow of falling water.

As the water falls down the passageway, it's directed past the propellers of the . The force of the flowing water turns the . The , in turn, spins the metal in the electric . That makes electricity !

But why are dams necessary? Could you just build a hydroelectric plant on any river? Not exactly. Hydroelectric dams need to be on large rivers. They also need to have a large drop in elevation. Engineers then control the water flow to make electricity on demand at a specific rate.

Many people want to use electricity made by water instead of . That's because it's better for the environment. When we use to make electricity , we burn it. This adds to the greenhouse gases that cause climate change. Also, once is burned, it's gone. On the other hand, the water used in hydroelectric dams keeps flowing. Thanks to the natural water cycle, hydroelectric power plants use a energy source!

CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6, CCRA.R.1, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.4, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.SL.1

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Do you ever take things for ? For instance, think about your morning routine. When you wake up, do you flip on a light? Grab your lunch from the refrigerator? Turn on the TV until you leave for school? Most people don't think much about these actions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about biomass energy and how this renewable power can help the environment. Teach students about biodiesel, ethanol, and methane gas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about solar energy and how this renewable power can help the environment. Teach students about solar cells and using the sun for heat.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Disclaimer: This material is being kept online for historical purposes. Though accurate at the time of publication, it is no longer being updated. The page may contain broken links or outdated information, and parts may not function in current web browsers.

Almost all the energy to power our planet comes from the Sun. But instead of using the kind of solar energy stored up in coal and oil, why not grab it directly from the source?

Eliminate the "middle man"

In the United States, most of the electricity we use is made by burning coal or oil. Unfortunately, burning coal and oil produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that adds to global warming.

Some electricity, though, is made using clean sources of energy like wind and sunlight. We need to be making a lot more electricity this way.

Many people are now putting solar electric systems on their houses. Solar panels covered with solar cells, sort of like little glass wafers, are installed on the roof. When sunlight strikes them, they turn some of it into electricity, which is fed through wires into the home's electrical circuits.

Solar panels covering even a small area on the roof can supply a good part of the electricity to run the refrigerator, lights, heating, TV, and other energy-hungry devices in the house. Making electricity from sunlight does not produce carbon dioxide and does not add to global warming. And after the solar panels are produced, paid for, and installed, the electricity is free!

In California, people are volunteering to help install solar panels on the homes of those who otherwise could not afford to buy them. The program is called Single-family Affordable Solar Homes, or SASH. The organization that sponsors the SASH program is called GRID Alternatives.

During special events, called "Solarthons," volunteers spend a day installing solar electric systems on homes. The group also works to raise money to expand GRID Alternatives' work throughout California.

So far, they have installed 540 solar electric systems, which are reducing each family's electrical bills by 75%. Over the next 30 years, these systems will prevent about 46,668 tons of greenhouse gases from being released into the atmosphere.

From light to heat to electricity

The energy stored in coal and oil started from the Sun, because coal and oil started as plants and animals.

Plants use the Sun's energy in a process called photosynthesis to create sugars to store as food. Animals eat the plants and other animals. The plants die. The animals that eat the plants die. Their remains get buried, pressed, and cooked in Earth's crust.

After millions of years, they become coal and oil. But they still store most of that original energy from the Sun.

Another way people use solar energy is in thermal power plants. Sunlight reflects off the surface of large, curved mirrors, and is reflected toward a single focus at their center.

Or many mirrors can be arranged to reflect sunlight to a focus in the center. This energy is used to heat water and make steam, which then drives a turbine.

Then electricity is made the same way as if the water were heated by coal or oil-except with no greenhouse gases!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Disclaimer: This material is being kept online for historical purposes. Though accurate at the time of publication, it is no longer being updated. The page may contain broken links or outdated information, and parts may not function in current web browsers. Almost all the energy to power our planet comes from the Sun.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about geothermal energy and how this renewable power can help the environment. Teach students about heat pumps and electric plants.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Geothermal Energy Facts

Check out our geothermal energy facts and learn more about power from the ground.

Read about geothermal electricity production, hot springs, heating applications and other topics related to geothermal power.

Geothermal energy is made inside the Earth.

The world geothermal comes from Greek words meaning 'Earth' (geo) and 'heat' (thermos).

The technology behind geothermal electricity generation has improved substantially but it still only provides a fraction of world electricity generation.

Geothermal power is clean, reliable and cost effective but its availability is often limited to areas near tectonic plate boundaries.

Geothermal power plants in the Philippines and Iceland contribute around 30% of their electricity production. In the USA it is less than 1%.

As of 2010, 24 countries around the world use geothermal power to generate electricity while around 70 use it for various forms of heating.

Geothermal heating applications include industrial uses, heat pumps, space heating and bathing in hot springs.

Humans have enjoyed geothermal energy in the form of hot springs for thousands of years.

The oldest known spa fed from a hot spring is believed to be a stone pool found on Lisan Mountain in China, built in the 3rd century BC.

In some parts of Iceland, hot water runs from geothermal power plants under pavements and roads to help melt ice.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Geothermal Energy Facts - Power from the Ground

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Geothermal Energy Facts Check out our geothermal energy facts and learn more about power from the ground. Read about geothermal electricity production, hot springs, heating applications and other topics related to geothermal power. Geothermal energy is made inside the Earth. The world geothermal comes from Greek words meaning 'Earth' (geo) and 'heat' (thermos).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about hydropower energy and how this renewable power can help the environment. Teach students about biodiesel, ethanol, and methane gas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about wind energy and how this renewable power can help the environment. Teach students about turbines that generate electricity from wind.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Hydropower Facts

Enjoy our range of interesting hydropower facts.

Learn about hydroelectricity production, different types of hydropower, the largest hydroelectric power station in the world, the use of tidal power and much more.

Hydropower uses the energy of moving water for a variety of useful applications.

Hydroelectricity generates electricity by harnessing the gravitational force of falling water.

In 2006, hydroelectricity supplied around 20% of the world's electricity.

Most hydroelectric power stations use water held in dams to drive turbines and generators which turn mechanical energy into electrical energy.

The largest hydroelectric power station in the world is the Three Gorges Dam in China.

A small number of countries, including Norway, Canada, Brazil, New Zealand, Paraguay, Venezuela and Switzerland, produce the majority of their electricity through hydropower.

Hydroelectricity is a renewable energy but the building of the large facilities needed to make it can have negative effects on the environment.

Hydropower has been used to power watermills for thousands of years although cheap electricity has largely made them obsolete in modern times.

The most common type of watermill grinds grains into flour.

Tidal power is another form of hydropower, it uses the energy of tides to create electricity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hydropower Facts - Creating Electricity with Water & Gravity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hydropower Facts Enjoy our range of interesting hydropower facts. Learn about hydroelectricity production, different types of hydropower, the largest hydroelectric power station in the world, the use of tidal power and much more. Hydropower uses the energy of moving water for a variety of useful applications.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Fun Kids - the UK's children's radio station

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is wind energy? How can wind generate electricity?

Here's the need-to-know stuff about the energy source, wind!

Description

As the Earth is heated by the Sun, some regions become warmer than others. The air in the warm regions rises. Air from cooler regions rushes in to replace it. This creates air currents - what we know as the wind.

Where can you find wind power?

Winds affect every part of the Earth. There are over 130 wind farms in the UK and many more are under construction.

Wind turbines can be put in any area where there is a lot of wind! Some are on land and some are in the sea - these are called 'offshore' wind farms!

How is it made into electricity?

The wind blows turbine blades, which then turn. This turning motion is transferred to a generator to produce electricity.

What are the advantages of using wind?

It is a renewable source of energy, which means that it will not run out!

As one of the windiest countries in Europe, it is perfect for our climate!

Wind energy is pollution free.

The land between the turbines can be used for farming meaning it doesn't take up too much space.

Wind turbines can be used to supply energy in remote places.

There is no need to dig underground or drill for the resource; therefore there is less land pollution!

What are the disadvantages of using wind?

There are potential local wildlife impacts such as birds being killed by the blades of the turbine. However, the risk to nature from climate change is far greater than this.

The wind is not always predictable. Some days may have a lot of wind and others may have no wind at all.

Click here for more energy facts!

We've got a whole series about energy, electricity, and power generation! It's called Curious Kate, and you can listen to it below!

EXPLORE THIS SERIES

Podcasts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Wind: Energy Source Fact File! - Fun Kids - the UK's children's radio station

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here's the need-to-know stuff about the energy source, wind! Description As the Earth is heated by the Sun, some regions become warmer than others. The air in the warm regions more "