Renewable energy is created by natural resources that are regenerable or replenishable. This means that after energy is consumed, natural processes regenerate the source. These resources include sunlight, wind, rain, tides, geothermal, biofuels, and more.
Unlike fossil fuels, these resources will not run out and produce little waste. Here is an overview of how humans harness sunlight, wind, rain, tides, geothermal, and biofuels.
Sunlight:
- Photovoltaics - converting sunlight directly into electricity
- Solar Thermal - using sunlight to heat up water/oil. The hot water is used in homes and hot water/hot oil are used to spin a turbine to generate electricity.
Wind:
- Turbines - spinning turbines generate electricity
Rain:
- Dams - rain collects into rivers to return to the ocean. Dams harness the "downward" movement of water to spin turbines to generate electricity. Someday, water might be pump behind a dam during the day (and maximum photovoltaic electricity production) to be used to generate electricity at night.
Tides:
- The movement of tides can be harnessed to generate electricity. Since the tide is almost always moving in or out, electricity production is consistent.
Geothermal:
- Heating - water warmed by geothermal resources is circulated in floors and walls, providing home heating.
- Electricity Generation - hot water can be used to spin a turbine and generate electricity.
Biofuels:
- Algae - nutrients, algae, and sunlight are combined to produce different types of fuels. Unlike the fuels underneath the earth, fuel produced by algae is renewable and removed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
- Corn - Corn is converted into ethanol, which is used to power cars and generate electricity.
We all know that renewable energy is the future of our civilization. Someday, fossil fuels will run out and force us to adopt renewable energy. Right now, renewable energy is supported (to a very small extend) by governments worldwide. With government rebates, it is economically feasible to switch to photovoltaic for electricity production. If you want to discover how photovoltaics are economically feasible, sign up for this free photovoltaic webinar.
