However, scientists are continually addressing these challenges, working to improve feasibility and reliability of renewable resources. Renewable resources include biomass energy such as ethanol , hydropower, geothermal power , wind energy , and solar energy.
Biomass refers to organic material from plants or animals. This includes wood, sewage, and ethanol which comes from corn or other plants. Biomass can be used as a source of energy because this organic material has absorbed energy from the Sun. This energy is, in turn, released as heat energy when burned. Hydropower is one of the oldest renewable resources and has been used for thousands of years.
Today, every U. With hydropower, the mechanical energy from flowing water is used to generate electricity. Hydroelectric power plants use the flow of rivers and streams to turn a turbine to power a generator, releasing electricity.
Geothermal reservoirs can be found at tectonic plate boundaries near volcanic activity or deep underground. Geothermal energy can be harnessed by drilling wells to pump hot water or steam to a power plant.
This energy is then used for heating and electricity. Wind energy generates electricity by turning wind turbines. This electricity can supply power to homes and other buildings, and it can even be stored in the power grid. Radiation from the Sun can be used as a power source as well.
Photovoltaic cells can be used to convert this solar energy into electricity. Individually, these cells only generate enough energy to power a calculator, but when combined to create solar panels or even larger arrays, they provide much more electricity. The sun has provided warmth during the day and helped kindle fires to last into the evening. But over the past years or so, humans increasingly turned to cheaper, dirtier energy sources such as coal and fracked gas.
Now that we have increasingly innovative and less-expensive ways to capture and retain wind and solar energy, renewables are becoming a more important power source, accounting for more than one-eighth of U.
The expansion in renewables is also happening at scales large and small, from rooftop solar panels on homes that can sell power back to the grid to giant offshore wind farms. Even some entire rural communities rely on renewable energy for heating and lighting. Nonrenewable sources of energy are only available in limited amounts and take a long time to replenish. Nonrenewable energy sources are also typically found in specific parts of the world, making them more plentiful in some nations than others.
By contrast, every country has access to sunshine and wind. Many nonrenewable energy sources can endanger the environment or human health. To top it off, all these activities contribute to global warming. Humans have been harnessing solar energy for thousands of years—to grow crops, stay warm, and dry foods. Solar, or photovoltaic PV , cells are made from silicon or other materials that transform sunlight directly into electricity.
Distributed solar systems generate electricity locally for homes and businesses, either through rooftop panels or community projects that power entire neighborhoods. Solar farms can generate power for thousands of homes, using mirrors to concentrate sunlight across acres of solar cells.
Solar supplies a little more than 1 percent of U. But nearly a third of all new generating capacity came from solar in , second only to natural gas. Today, turbines as tall as skyscrapers —with turbines nearly as wide in diameter—stand at attention around the world. Wind, which accounts for a little more than 6 percent of U. Top wind power states include California, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa, though turbines can be placed anywhere with high wind speeds—such as hilltops and open plains—or even offshore in open water.
Hydropower is the largest renewable energy source for electricity in the United States, though wind energy is soon expected to take over the lead. Nationally and internationally, large hydroelectric plants—or mega-dams—are often considered to be nonrenewable energy. Mega-dams divert and reduce natural flows, restricting access for animal and human populations that rely on rivers. Small hydroelectric plants an installed capacity below about 40 megawatts , carefully managed, do not tend to cause as much environmental damage, as they divert only a fraction of flow.
Biomass is organic material that comes from plants and animals, and includes crops, waste wood, and trees. When biomass is burned, the chemical energy is released as heat and can generate electricity with a steam turbine.
As mentioned above, many renewable energy sources cannot be relied upon all the time. For this reason, fossil fuels are still in use to top-up renewable sources in many countries. This variable production capacity means that large energy storage solutions are required to ensure there is enough power when renewable energy generation dips. An alternative solution is to deploy several renewable technologies, creating a more flexible system of supply that can counteract dips in production for a given source.
Some renewable resources, such as hydropower and biomass, do not suffer with these problems of supply, but these both have their own challenges related to environmental impact, as noted above. In addition to this, some renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind farms, create complaints from local people who do not want to live near them. However, this is not always the case, as shown by the example of Ardossan Wind Farm in Scotland, where most local residents believe the farm enhanced the area.
Furthermore, a study by the UK Government found that, "projects are generally more likely to succeed if they have broad public support and the consent of local communities. This means giving communities both a say and a stake. Non-renewable energy comes from sources that will either run out or not be replenished for thousands or millions of years.
These include fossil fuels, such as coal, and natural gases that are burned to generate electricity. Renewable energy is important as it has the potential to provide a ready supply of power without using natural resources. There is also a lower risk of environmental problems like fuel spills and minimal issues with emissions, while also reducing the need for imported fuels. With reliable supplies and fuel diversification, renewable energy could meet our power needs for years to come.
The effectiveness of renewable energy depends upon the resource being used. Some renewable sources are more readily available and effective than others, while some, such as geothermal are of great use in some locations and not in others due to accessibility. Iceland, for example, has ample geothermal resources, while places like the highlands of Scotland are well-suited to wind power. In other areas, solar energy is best suited while the United States has invested in hydroelectric power.
Each type of renewable energy has benefits and drawbacks, often related to supply, meaning that the best solution is often to use a variety of types of resource in together. A study of nations around the world found that Germany uses the highest amount of renewable energy with This was followed by the UK Clearly, much work needs to be done to increase these usage rates in order to reach a completely renewable future, but this need is driving industry forward and creating opportunities in this sector.
Renewable energy sources will not run out — at least not for many millions of years in the case of the sun, for example. They provide a viable alternative to non-renewable resources, such as fossil fuels while many are also environmentally friendly and produce little of no CO2. The hope is that renewable energy will one day replace fossil fuels. There is a finite amount of coal and oil on the planet, so these will eventually run out.
This means that the future needs to be renewable. In addition the environmental benefits of a clean, green and renewable energy future are becoming increasingly obvious as global warming continues. Buying energy. Energy sources. Fixed price electricity contracts.
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