What is Renewable Energy?
Renewable energy is defined as energy generated from natural resources such as wind, sunlight, rain, tides, or geothermal heat. These types of resources are naturally replenished, so there's no worry of one day running out of these resources or harming the environment in the process.
Due to concerns about global warming and the greenhouse effect, government legislation is working to increase renewable energy consumption via tax credits and incentives,
as well as an increase in grant money for research purposes.
Types of Renewable Energy Wind power is mainly generated by wind turbines. Modern wind turbines are the most commonly used form of clean energy in the commercial industry. The amount of power generated by this technology is directly influenced by wind speed, so the higher the wind speed, the greater the power. Areas with strong wind currents are ideal for these windmill farms, such as offshore and high altitude areas.
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Water power aka hydropower, is generated by the force of moving water. This force is then utilized for purposes such as hydroelectricity, tidal power, and wave power. The largest use of hydropower is to create hydroelectric power, which can be harnessed from river dams, and the low-cost energy can be stored.
Solar energy
can be attained from sunlight, and then used to generate electricity, and heating and cooling systems.
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Biofuel
is a form of clean energy that is produced by plants during the photosynthesis process. Biofuels are mainly used to create energy-efficient fuels for automobiles such as biodiesel and ethanol.
Geothermal Energy is obtained by using the heat generated by Earth's crust, or by absorbing heat from the atmosphere, oceans, or underground. There are multiple forms of geothermal technology, but they generally work in the same way. The heat is gathered from liquids (usually water or water vapor), and the fluids create power. Although these power stations are expensive to build, they operate at extremely low costs because fuel doesn't need to be purchased. This means they practically pay for themselves.
Geologic Resources - Resources for geoscientists, engineers, and related professionals.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Renewable energy is a way to obtain clean power in an eco-friendly manner. Therefore, the advantages are immense. Not only do these technologies help the environment, but if you go green, you could save a lot of money in the long run. Not to mention, this industry is becoming commercialized, so there is plenty of opportunity for jobs when compared to non-renewable energy businesses like coal and oil, which may one day disappear.
The only disadvantage is the cost of implementing such technologies. But it's pretty clear that with the amount of savings that result from alternative energy, these things basically pay for themselves. |
