Renewable Energy 101
When learning about sustainability, one of the most common topics you’ll come across are renewable energies. The question of how to solve global warming is often answered with the solution of using these energy resources to help reduce our pollution issues. In comparison to fossil fuels, renewable energy resources are considered a sustainable alternative as they do not emit greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide. With a host of other benefits, and a variety of source types, this post gives you a brief run-down on the topic of renewable energy so you can better understand its part in the climate change agenda.
Renewable Energy Definition
The term renewable energy refers to a set of natural resources that are in essence, infinite and perpetually available. These resources, such as solar, wind, and hydropower, are naturally replenished during an average human lifetime. In contrast, it’s counterpart fossil fuels take thousands of years to replenish, and are therefore considered unsustainable.
It’s worth noting that the definition of renewable energy has some caveats. Although it is mainly used to define resources that are both renewable and carbon-less, one could say that natural gas is classified as a renewable energy because the resource is infinite, even though natural gas still emits carbon and greenhouse gases.
Generally speaking, when people think of renewable energy, they most likely are referring to these 5 distinct sources: hydropower, solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal energy.
The 5 Types of Renewable Energy Resources
Hydropower: this source refers to the energy harnessed from water, specifically through the usage of river dams or tidal and wave energy. In theory, this energy source is replenished by snow and rain, making it an ideal renewable resource. There are of course drawbacks to hydropower, the biggest one being that it disrupts the surrounding natural ecosystem.
Solar: the process of harnessing sunlight and converting it into energy highlights the solar power process, and it is often created through the device of solar panels. An additional method to harness the sun’s energy is the process of concentrating sunlight through a mirroring process to concentrate heat and produce what is called solar thermal energy.
Wind: through the placement of wind turbines in areas that experience strong wind flows such as offshore or land-based windy locations, wind power creates a renewable source of energy that is rapidly rising in popularity across the world. In particular, wind power usage in the U.S has become the top renewable energy source for electricity in the past year, surpassing hydropower.
Biomass: This type of energy comes from wood, wood waste, landfill waste, and solid municipal waste that produce biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. Biomass energy is considered a flexible resource due to its ability to provide energy for cars, building heating systems, etc.
Geothermal: by extracting the heat in the Earth’s surface, geothermal energy is produced and turned into a source of electricity. It’s most commonly harnessed through underground reservoirs of steam and hot water, accessible through wells that run deep into the earth’s surface.
It’s Potential Impact
The biggest impact renewable energies have on the climate change crisis is their ability to reduce overall carbon emissions and pollution levels. These resources are considered “clean” and are for the most part, sustainable. The growing usage of renewable energy also means more jobs and economic activity. For the consumer, clean energy is usually most cost effective as well. With a push for renewable energy, we’re one step closer to achieving a more sustainable world by addressing the climate change and health crises of global warming and pollution.
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