Amid fast technological and industrial advancement and the continued growth of the human race, one monumental problem still continues to puzzle philanthropists and the champions for a better tomorrow: The finite resources available. Crucial resources that have powered industries and fueled innovation, such as fossil fuel, are becoming scarce with each passing day. Even with the abundance of these resources, threatening issues such as global warming and climate change have led to more restrictions on how they are used. With diminishing resources and their impact on the environment, it has become instrumental to seek alternative energy sources, and that’s why renewable energy comes in.
What is Renewable Energy?
In simple terms, renewable energy is energy that is derived or obtained from existing natural resources that are replenished after consumption. The most widely used of such resources include sunlight, wind, and hydroelectric power. These types of resources are crucial in ensuring sustainability as they help with climate mitigation and long-term energy security. What makes renewable energy particularly ideal is that it is all around us, with the only major challenge being how to harness it.
Energy sources such as coal oil and gas that are key to many industries are all non-renewable in that they take hundreds of millions of years to form. Additionally these types of energy sources have a negative impact on the environment since when burned they produce harmful greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.
Since non-renewable sources such as fossil fuel account for the lion’s share of global emissions, transitioning to renewable energy has become instrumental in addressing the current climate crisis. This type of energy is not only cheaper but is also the economically sound option as harnessing it generates more jobs than their non-renewable counterpart.
Solar Energy
Solar energy is the most abundant of all resources, and for good reason: the sun is literally everywhere and can be harnessed even in cloudy weather. Did you know the amount of solar energy that is intercepted by the Earth is 10000 times more than what humankind needs? This is a clear indication that this energy has been underharvested.
There are several ways that solar energy can be utilized from heating and cooling to natural lighting and electricity. There are two ways to convert solar energy to electrical energy. First photovoltaic panels may be used to convert UV light and heat energy to electricity. Secondly, mirrors can also be used to concentrate solar radiation converting it to electricity.
With governments and organizations all over the world looking to encourage the adoption of renewable energy, the cost of manufacturing solar panels has plummeted dramatically. This has made solar one of the most affordable renewable energy sources. Most solar panels have a lifespan of about 30 years and come in a variety of shades depending on the material used.
Innovation in solar panels has come a long way. Modern solar panels have now been incorporated into roofing structures such as tiles and roofing sheets resulting in dual purpose roofs. Technology has also made it easier for photovoltaic cells to be incorporated into window panels reducing the over reliance on traditional panels and making harnessing easier.
Wind Energy
Wind is the second major source of renewable energy. Here, energy is produced by harnessing the kinetic energy in moving air using wind turbines. These turbines may be located offshore, in new seas or freshwater bodies, where there is plenty of wind current or onshore (on land) in windy areas. While wind energy has been used for nearly a millennia, there has been constant evolution in the technologies used to harness this power, particularly through the use of taller turbines and larger rotor diameters.
Just like wind energy, the potential for wind energy electricity production exceeds the global electricity energy needs. The average wind speed will determine the amount of energy that is produced by any particular turbine. While not all regions can be windy, the potential for wind energy production exists in most regions around the world. The best place to install wind turbines is in remote areas where there is minimal impact on the kinetic energy of the wind.
Geothermal energy
Unlike the two aforementioned renewable energy sources that are easily accessible, geothermal energy comes from the Earth’s interior. Geothermal energy is extracted from reservoir wells or other means.
There are two primary sources of geothermal energy. First, there are reservoirs that are naturally hot and sufficiently permeable, which are called hydrothermal reservoirs. Secondly, there are reservoirs with enough heat energy but need hydraulic stimulation, which is called enhanced geothermal systems. Once the heat energy has been extracted, the steam from the reservoirs is used to generate electricity. While geothermal technology has only been in operation for about 100 years, it is still a mature and reliable form of energy production.
Hydropower
As the name suggests, hydropower is harnessed from water. This may either be moving water in rivers or water from reservoirs. Water stored in a reservoir is usually released from higher to lower elevations. Run-of-river hydropower is harnessed from the current flow of the river.
Currently, hydropower is the largest source of renewable energy, especially with regard to electricity. It is a relatively stable renewable energy source, though it can be negatively impacted by climate-induced droughts and ecosystem changes that impact rainfall patterns. While hydropower is renewable, the infrastructure needed to produce electricity on a large scale can have a negative impact on the environment; hence, small-scale hydropower production is considered a more environmentally friendly option.
Looking Forward
While it is clear that renewable energy is the way to go in the future, replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources has proved to be quite a challenge. This is because major industries need to balance non-polluting energy sources with energy efficiency. Achieving this equilibrium has not been easy. As such, many organizations are focusing on alleviating carbon dioxide emissions and other dangerous pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide.
Renewable energy is one of the key drivers of sustainable development. While there are still many factors to consider, such as generation capacity, installation capacity, and storage capacity, harnessing this type of energy will pave the way for a cleaner and better future in energy production.
Amid fast technological and industrial advancement and the continued growth of the human race, one monumental problem still continues to puzzle philanthropists and the champions for a better tomorrow: The finite resources available. Crucial resources that have powered industries and fueled innovation, such as fossil fuel, are becoming scarce with each passing day. Even with the abundance of these resources, threatening issues such as global warming and climate change have led to more restrictions on how they are used. With diminishing resources and their impact on the environment, it has become instrumental to seek alternative energy sources, and that’s why renewable energy comes in.
What is Renewable Energy?
In simple terms, renewable energy is energy that is derived or obtained from existing natural resources that are replenished after consumption. The most widely used of such resources include sunlight, wind, and hydroelectric power. These types of resources are crucial in ensuring sustainability as they help with climate mitigation and long-term energy security. What makes renewable energy particularly ideal is that it is all around us, with the only major challenge being how to harness it.
Energy sources such as coal oil and gas that are key to many industries are all non-renewable in that they take hundreds of millions of years to form. Additionally these types of energy sources have a negative impact on the environment since when burned they produce harmful greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.
Since non-renewable sources such as fossil fuel account for the lion’s share of global emissions, transitioning to renewable energy has become instrumental in addressing the current climate crisis. This type of energy is not only cheaper but is also the economically sound option as harnessing it generates more jobs than their non-renewable counterpart.
Solar Energy
Solar energy is the most abundant of all resources, and for good reason: the sun is literally everywhere and can be harnessed even in cloudy weather. Did you know the amount of solar energy that is intercepted by the Earth is 10000 times more than what humankind needs? This is a clear indication that this energy has been underharvested.
There are several ways that solar energy can be utilized from heating and cooling to natural lighting and electricity. There are two ways to convert solar energy to electrical energy. First photovoltaic panels may be used to convert UV light and heat energy to electricity. Secondly, mirrors can also be used to concentrate solar radiation converting it to electricity.
With governments and organizations all over the world looking to encourage the adoption of renewable energy, the cost of manufacturing solar panels has plummeted dramatically. This has made solar one of the most affordable renewable energy sources. Most solar panels have a lifespan of about 30 years and come in a variety of shades depending on the material used.
Innovation in solar panels has come a long way. Modern solar panels have now been incorporated into roofing structures such as tiles and roofing sheets resulting in dual purpose roofs. Technology has also made it easier for photovoltaic cells to be incorporated into window panels reducing the over reliance on traditional panels and making harnessing easier.
Wind Energy
Wind is the second major source of renewable energy. Here, energy is produced by harnessing the kinetic energy in moving air using wind turbines. These turbines may be located offshore, in new seas or freshwater bodies, where there is plenty of wind current or onshore (on land) in windy areas. While wind energy has been used for nearly a millennia, there has been constant evolution in the technologies used to harness this power, particularly through the use of taller turbines and larger rotor diameters.
Just like wind energy, the potential for wind energy electricity production exceeds the global electricity energy needs. The average wind speed will determine the amount of energy that is produced by any particular turbine. While not all regions can be windy, the potential for wind energy production exists in most regions around the world. The best place to install wind turbines is in remote areas where there is minimal impact on the kinetic energy of the wind.
Geothermal energy
Unlike the two aforementioned renewable energy sources that are easily accessible, geothermal energy comes from the Earth’s interior. Geothermal energy is extracted from reservoir wells or other means.
There are two primary sources of geothermal energy. First, there are reservoirs that are naturally hot and sufficiently permeable, which are called hydrothermal reservoirs. Secondly, there are reservoirs with enough heat energy but need hydraulic stimulation, which is called enhanced geothermal systems. Once the heat energy has been extracted, the steam from the reservoirs is used to generate electricity. While geothermal technology has only been in operation for about 100 years, it is still a mature and reliable form of energy production.
Hydropower
As the name suggests, hydropower is harnessed from water. This may either be moving water in rivers or water from reservoirs. Water stored in a reservoir is usually released from higher to lower elevations. Run-of-river hydropower is harnessed from the current flow of the river.
Currently, hydropower is the largest source of renewable energy, especially with regard to electricity. It is a relatively stable renewable energy source, though it can be negatively impacted by climate-induced droughts and ecosystem changes that impact rainfall patterns. While hydropower is renewable, the infrastructure needed to produce electricity on a large scale can have a negative impact on the environment; hence, small-scale hydropower production is considered a more environmentally friendly option.
Looking Forward
While it is clear that renewable energy is the way to go in the future, replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources has proved to be quite a challenge. This is because major industries need to balance non-polluting energy sources with energy efficiency. Achieving this equilibrium has not been easy. As such, many organizations are focusing on alleviating carbon dioxide emissions and other dangerous pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide.
Renewable energy is one of the key drivers of sustainable development. While there are still many factors to consider, such as generation capacity, installation capacity, and storage capacity, harnessing this type of energy will pave the way for a cleaner and better future in energy production.
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