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| Home » Carbon management » Renewable Energy (also called Sustainable Energy or Alternative Energy)
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Renewable Energy (also called Sustainable Energy or Alternative Energy) |
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The list of renewable energy sources include water power, wind power, geothermal energy, solar energy and biofuel. Approximately 20% of global energy needs are met by renewable energy sources.
Renewable energy is energy that is generated from natural resources like wind, geothermal heat, sunlight and tides. These resources are naturally replenished. Increased use of renewable energy is compelled by concerns about climate change. Global factors like high oil prices also push country governments to explore new avenues of meeting their energy requirements.
Bulk of renewable energy came from biomass like wood-burning. Approximately 13% of energy are sourced from biomass around the world. Hydroelectricity comes second with 3%. Solar energy contributes 1.3%. Other sources of power viz. Wind power and geothermal energy provides the rest.
Hydropower or water power
Energy present in water is utilized to create hydropower. This energy may take the form of temperature difference, salinity gradients and kinetic energy. Energy created from water may result from massive scale hydroelectric dams, micro-hydro systems and damless hydrosystems. Ocean energy can be captured from marine current power, tidal power and ocean thermal energy conversion.
Wind power
This is generated through wind turbines. Modern wind turbines range from 600 kW to 5 MW. The more the wind speed, the more the electricity generated. Thus wind farms are established where stronger and consistent winds are present, like high altitude and offshore sites.
Solar energy
It refers to energy from sunlight. Commonest form of creating electricity via solar power is through the use of photovoltaic solar cells. Electricity may also be created by heating trapped air as in a solar updraft tower.
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