This guide will describe renewable energy sources that are available to us to produce energy. We have research and listed 6 types of renewable energy and provide brief detail for each of them. Let’s continue to read to learn more about them.
Renewable Energy Sources
Definition of renewable energy : Renewable energy is form of energy which is produced by natural resources which are available amply on earth. A word ‘renewable’ defines as something that can be created newly again after when it has already been created. This is the magic of renewable energy, energy that can be created over and over again using same resources without the fear of getting these resources to end. The resources which are used to produce renewable energy are wind, water, tides, sunlight and wastes (It will be explained later in the guide). These are all natural resources available on surface of the earth, these resource are what makes life possible on planet earth. If these resource runs out, life will not be possible to sustain on earth as we know it today.
This guide is written for renewable energy sources; therefore we will focus on renewable energy resources. If you want to know more about what is renewable energy, we have guide written for it already.
Importance of renewable energy
It is important to realize why renewable energy has such significance today. The conventional ways of producing electricity has been not only ruining health of atmosphere, it is also getting expensive to produce electricity from them. Resources that are used to produce non renewable energy are coal, oil, nuclear power plants etc. Oil prices are getting higher in the world, resulting impossible to produce cheaper energy from it. Secondly, producing electricity from oil release green house gasses which pollute our atmosphere and increasing temperature of the earth. Green house gas is the sole reason why global warming is taking place.
With help of renewable energy resources, we can produce ample amount of energy without polluting atmosphere of earth, because these resource release no amount green house gasses. The other main reason for using renewables is that these resources can be reused to produce same amount of energy without wasting the resource. Unlike non renewable energy sources, because when coal produces energy it is wasted and cannot be used again. I hope by now you are clear about the importance of renewable energy.
Types of Renewable Energy
There are 6 different types of renewable sources of energy which are used to produce energy. All of these resources are available for unlimited use. And none of these resources produce harmful gasses which could harm environment of our earth. Here are the types of renewable energy sources
1. Solar Energy: Energy that is produced using sunlight.
2. Wind Energy: Wind energy is produced by Wind turbines or wind mills using blow of the wind.
3. Hydro Power: Hydro power plants are used to store water in them (dams). And electricity is produced by water using turbines.
4. Biomass: In Biomass energy is produced using organic matter.
5. Biofuels: It is derived from Biomass technology, most common biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel
6. Geothermal Energy: Thermal energy stored in earth is used as geothermal for producing energy.
Let’s read each of renewable energy resource in details and how they are used to produce energy that we used.
1 . Solar energy :
Solar energy is produced by sunlight with help solar panels. Solar panels are consists of solar cells which are called photo-voltaic. Photo-voltaic cells are responsible to produce electricity when directed towards solar radiations. Solar energy is absolutely free and there is no further charged are required when solar panels are installed. Applications of solar energy are wide in range; it is used in houses, offices, buildings, educational institutes, industrial sectors and government authorities. Solar energy is also providing electricity to satellites revolving around the orbit of earth – You should visit the following website for more information www.solarpowernotes.com
2. Wind Energy :
It is another useful renewable energy source for providing ample amount of energy. Wind turbines are installed in offshore areas where wind pressure is higher. Wind pressure rotates propellers of turbines to produce energy. Wind renewable energy can only be used in offshore areas, new beaches and seas. It cannot be installed in areas where wind pressure is not available. Energy produced from wind turbines is for free and does not produce any harmful gas or residue which could affect atmosphere of earth. Latest wind turbines can produce electricity from 600 KW to 5 MW.
3. Hydro Power :
Hydro power plant is one of the oldest sources of renewable energy. You must have heard word “Dams”. Dam collects huge amount of water and then this water flowers through powerful turbines which rotates because of the pressure of water. When turbine rotates it produces energy. This energy is stored in grids and transfer to required area using high tension wires. The working of wind turbines and hydro power plants can be considered same. Since water is 800 times denser then wind, even slow flowing water or reasonable sea swell is capable to yield enormous amount of electricity.
4. Biomass :
Biomass is slightly controversial source of renewable energy which produces energy using three sources wood, alcohol fuels and biological wastes, but most widely woods and plants are used. When living organisms dies including plants, woods from forest etc, the biological material is extracted from them using biomass power plants to produce energy.
Plants absorb energy from sunlight and then use photosynthesis to produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, when these plants and woods are burnt and processed in biomass power plants; they release energy that is stored from sunlight to produce electricity using biomass power plants.
5. Biofuels :
Biofuels can be considered one of the types derived from Biomass renewable energy, and it includes multiple forms of fuels. Biomass consists of liquid fuels, solid biomass and multiple forms of biogases. Or in easier words, when biomass is converted directly into liquid fuels it becomes biofuels.
When biofuels are generated it used in vehicles, trucks and other means of transportation. The two most common types of biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel.
Ethanol fuel is far more efficient when it is compared to regular fuel in producing pollution and price. Ethanol is used as fuel additive which results in low emission of vehicle’s carbon monoxide and other harmful green house gasses. Whereas biodiesel is formed with methanol (alcohol) combined with other liquids like vegetable oil, recycled cooking grease and animal fats. It is also used in vehicles to reduce carbon emission and other harmful gasses by 20% but in diesel engines.
6. Geothermal :
Geothermal energy is heat energy present in earth naturally. It is renewable energy resource which is very clean for environment and sustainable. However, it is the type of energy that has geographical limitations. It can put to use to produce energy where there is natural heat source from within earth is available. Places like shallow surface, from smoky hot water to very hot rock beneath the surface of the earth or even red hot molten which is called magma.
When heat source is located on earth, geothermal power plants are used to retrieve steam from these source to power up generator and turbines to produce energy. In some cases, hot water is extracted out of heat source which is later converted in to steam to power up generators and turbines to produce electricity. Other useful applications for geothermal energy is to heating system of buildings, provide heat in greenhouse to grow plants and it is also used in industrial section such as box milk for pasteurizing.
These are 6 renewable energy sources that are available to us to produce energy. About 19 % of global energy is generated using these renewable energy resources. We have described each type of energy briefly to provide you some idea about them. In future, we will write guide on each of these renewable energy sources list to explain them in more details.
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