Every day, people around the world flip on light switches, use computers, charge mobile phones, watch television, and store food in refrigerators—all because of electricity. A century ago, electricity was considered a luxury and mainly existed in wealthy homes. Now, electricity is so intertwined in our daily lives, it’s considered a basic need. Here are some facts that even the average electrician may not know.
1.2 Billion People Don’t Have Electricity
In first-world nations like the United States, we take electricity for granted. But for one-sixth of the world’s population (or 1.2 billion people), it’s not accessible at all. In some of those places, people are turning to solar power to generate electricity for basic lighting and other electrical needs.
Electricity Can Come From Unusual Sources
Most of us know that sunlight, wind, and water can produce electric power, but did you know that animal manure can be used to generate electricity? That’s right—manure and plant waste make up the phenomenon called biomass fuels. There are reports of things such as old tires, coffee, chocolate, algae, and even human body heat being used to generate electricity. In Sweden, engineers developed a way to capture the body heat of the 250,000 commuters that pass through Stockholm’s railway station and use it to power a nearby office building.
Several Countries Use 100% Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is energy that is derived from sources that are naturally replenished, such as sunlight, wind, water, and heat. Traditional sources of energy, such as fossil fuels, are finite and in danger of being depleted. As a result, many countries are making massive strides toward renewable energy. Amazingly, there are already several countries that are 100 percent reliant on renewable sources for electricity, and some of those countries are not the ones you would expect to see on a list of renewable energy leaders—they are Iceland, Norway, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The Electric Eel is Shocking
There are some unusual creatures in aquatic habitats, and the electric eel is one of them. This eel is so-named because it is capable of generating an electrical charge of up to 600 volts, which is five times the power of a regular socket in the United States. This charge is designed to stun both predators and prey—it’s strong enough to knock a horse off its feet and kill alligators.
There’s no doubt—electricity is fascinating. It powers most of the world, derives a current from unusual sources, and is used by at least one animal as a survival technique. Electricity makes a lot of things possible. Where would we be without it?