Renewable energy is energy that derives from natural processes that continuously replenished. This includes sunlight, wind, water, geothermal heat and biomass.
Fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) are non-renewable energy sources. Burning them releases particles that pollute air, land and water while upsetting Earth’s “carbon budget.”
Energy from the Sun
The Sun is the source of all energy on Earth, providing us with heat, light and solar energy. This powerful source can harness to produce renewable sources of power.
Energy from the Sun primarily generated through nuclear fusion in its core. This process produces vast amounts of heat and light in the form of waves, particles and ions.
Energy transmitted to Earth via electromagnetic radiation in quanta or packets of energy called photons. It can harness for electrical production through photovoltaic technology.
Photons traverse space at an incredible 186,000 miles per second. When they reach Earth’s surface, most of their energy reflected back out into space or absorbed by atmospheric particles.
In addition to ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitted by the Sun, it also emits infrared radiation with a lower frequency. This radiation reaches Earth at a much longer wavelength than UV and mainly absorbed by greenhouse gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide and methane.
Due to the “greenhouse effect,” three important greenhouse gasses trap some of the long-wave energy emitted by the Sun and thus keep Earth’s surface warm.
The most common use of solar energy is for illumination, but it can also utilize to power appliances like refrigerators and lamps. This renewable source can capture in various ways, including through photovoltaic cells or concentrating solar power (CSP).
Other renewable energy technologies utilize sunlight to capture and transform it into usable forms of energy. Examples include geothermal, hydroelectric, wind and tidal.
Solar energy can utilize to power the world’s electrical grid and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Furthermore, it provides clean and renewable heat for homes and businesses around the world.
Energy from the Wind
Wind is a natural force in the atmosphere that varies in speed and density depending on where you are and what time of day it is. This kinetic energy can be harness to generate electricity using various turbine designs.
Wind captures the blades of a turbine and causes them to spin, rotating the shaft in order to generate electrical energy for homes or businesses. This process involves several components; including a generator that converts kinetic energy into electricity and multipliers which increase blade rotation speed.
Wind generated electricity can travel long distances to reach the main power grid and then distributed through smaller distribution lines to homes, factories and schools that need it. Additionally, excess power generated can stored for later use.
Modern wind farms feature large propeller-shaped turbines situated in strategic locations with strong winds and close to existing electrical grids. Unfortunately, the amount of energy generated from wind varies, so it is essential that the electrical grid has the capacity to store this energy.
When power needed from a wind farm, it transported from its turbines to the main power grid and then sent onward to your home or business via smaller transmission lines buried underground throughout its footprint. After reaching the main grid, electric utilities or operators send it via series of cables connecting the turbines to larger “network” transmission lines which can span long distances and deliver it to homes, businesses or other customers around the country or world.
Wind power is an environmentally friendly source of electricity that does not contribute to climate change or air pollution. Furthermore, it produces little or no waste and requires minimal land use for production. Furthermore, wind energy is both renewable and inexpensive – providing consumers with clean energy at affordable prices.
Energy from Water
Water-derived energy is one of the most popular forms of renewable energy. This power generated by using the force of flowing water to power turbines that convert it into electrical current.
For centuries, people around the globe have been harnessing the energy of moving water. This process, known as hydropower, is an environmentally friendly and renewable source of electricity – now widely considered to be one of the largest sources of emission-free electricity worldwide.
Water technologies range from large dams and pumped storage plants to tidal and wind farms. All of this harness the energy of water in order to generate electricity and heat.
These power generating systems can also be employed for other purposes, like flood control or irrigation. Furthermore, they offer low-cost yet dependable base load power output.
Hydropower dam
For instance, a large hydropower dam in Nevada generates enough electricity to light 24 million 100-watt bulbs simultaneously. Its reservoir stores water that released when the river runs slower or during times of peak demand – providing reliable base-load power generation throughout peak demand periods.
One of the major challenges for global development is how to reduce water use by energy and food production. These sectors are using more water than ever, due to factors like changing diets, rising population growth and expanding economic activity.
As the world transitions towards a more sustainable energy model, companies must consider how their energy purchases impact water resources. This relationship, known as the energy-water-carbon nexus, plays an integral role in any company’s overall sustainability strategy.
In addition to conserving vast amounts of freshwater, switching to renewables can also help reduce carbon emissions. This is because renewables burn less fossil fuel than traditional power plants do.
This is especially crucial in water-stressed countries, where the energy sector consumes a substantial share of water and causes massive carbon emissions. Switching to renewables can save both of these precious resources at once.
Water management is a complex, interdependent relationship, but one companies are increasingly striving to manage in order to reach their own sustainability objectives. As such, many multinationals are developing water management strategies that can reduce their water use while simultaneously cutting carbon emissions.
Energy from Biomass
Biomass is the energy generated from plants and other living things. It has been around since people first began burning wood to cook food and keep warm; today it remains an important renewable source of energy.
Biomass energy comes from photosynthesis, which takes place when plants and trees use sunlight to create their own organic matter. This material can then burn or decomposed, releasing the stored energy it contains.
Biomass can range from plants and wood to other organic materials like food crops, grasses, woody plants, oil-rich algae and even landfill organic wastes.
Biofuels come from many types of plants and animals that can be use for transportation or home appliances. Examples include crops grown for food such as corn, sugar cane, soy, as well as woody species like pines or oaks.
These plants generate energy quickly, providing a reliable and steady source of power. Unfortunately, these feedstocks often need land to develop, which could lead to land degradation in areas where they grow.
For instance, clearing forests to plant fuel crops can release carbon into the air that would have sequestered had they remained intact. Eventually, however, plant material will regrowth and offset some of this loss of carbon but this process may take decades or more.
Algae are unique in that they produce energy at a much faster rate than most plants and trees do, making them an attractive biofuel feedstock. Furthermore, the oceans contain plenty of algae which can farmed for energy without depleting freshwater resources.
These feedstocks can combine into a system for producing electricity and heat, which is the most cost-effective form of power generation for small projects. Ideally, these systems should be situated close to an abundant supply of year-round biomass resources.
Recommended readings:
- Biomass As a Renewable Energy Resource
- Business Community and Pakistan’s Power Crisis
- Heat Transfer by Convection
- Why You Should Go Solar in Pakistan
- What is Air Pollution?
