As people become more conscious about preserving the environment and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, better alternatives are being
developed. This holds true in terms of the world’s energy usage. This is the reason behind the growing popularity of alternative and renewable energy sources today.
What
is Renewable Energy?
Renewable energy means that it can be easily replenished in a short span of time. This is because sources of this type of energy are in abundant
supply and are foreseen not to experience any shortage in the future. The common renewable energy sources are
hydroelectric, wind,
solar,
geothermal and biofuel.
Much of this renewable energy is used in electricity generation. This is followed by the production of heat and steam for industrial applications,
transportation and heating of homes and buildings.
A major advantage of renewable energy is its low impact on the environment especially since it does not emit hazardous greenhouse gases. As
such, they are cleaner and safer to use.
While renewable energy were a bit expensive to use in the past, they are considered to be more affordable now. Some drawbacks, though,
include their remote location, high cost of building power lines and less constant availability especially those that are dependent on the weather
condition such as solar and wind energy.
Renewable energy sources are increasingly being harnessed today to provide people with alternative and eco-friendly energy for their fuel
needs. As the prices of crude oil and natural gas, the production and use of these fuels continue to grow and are expected to go on for many
more years. This may still be coupled, though, with the use of non-renewable fuels.
Hydroelectric
is energy from the water. It is one of the oldest and most developed energy sources. This energy form is produced by using the
gravitational force of fast flowing and falling water. Rivers and waterfalls are major sources of hydropower. In 2005, electricity generated by
hydropower was able to supply approximately 19 percent of the world’s needs and accounted for more than 63 percent of power from renewable
sources.
Wind is one of the cleanest forms of energy and considered the most developed among the renewable sources of energy. Wind energy is
produced through the use of windmills most notable in The Netherlands. According to the Global Wind Energy Council, the wind market
worldwide will grow by more than 155 percent by 2012 reaching a total capacity of 240 GW.
Solar energy comes from the sun’s rays or radiant energy and is used in various applications including heating homes and buildings, water
and generating electricity. Its other uses are in distilling and disinfecting saline or brackish water for human consumption, cooking, drying,
pasteurization, transportation, metal smelting and industrial chemical production.
Tidal energy is produced by the rise and fall of tides as a result of the interaction between the earth, moon and sun’s gravitational forces. It
does not rely on weather conditions because tides always rise and fall and thereby easier to predict.
Nuclear energy, although may have some negative connotation, is actually a potential energy source being harnessed today. It is produced
through the coming together (fusion) or splitting of atoms (fission). Nuclear power plants, however, mostly make use of the fusion process in
generating electricity.
This energy source is used in furnaces for homes and for heating swimming pools. Its major applications are in power plants, space ships and in running cars.
One of the cleanest sources of energy, it is dependent on the weather and location, wind energy is very helpful in a lot of ways specifically in generating electricity through the use of windmills.
