Finally Sources of Renewable Energy Explained

In a world where climate change is one of the most important issues on the global agenda, it’s essential that we find new ways to fight it. One way that climate change can be fought, is by using renewable energy and that’s the central topic of this article.

So, if you’re interested, keep reading to find out what renewable energy is and what sources of renewable energy there are or watch this video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8QYQYb803U

What is renewable energy?

Renewable energy is an alternative and durable form of energy that doesn’t bring damage to the environment, as is the case with traditional forms of energy.

Renewable energy is also known as green energy because it’s a form of energy that comes from different types of natural sources that are constantly replenished. Thus, renewable energy is inexhaustible and very accessible!

What are the most prominent sources of renewable energy?

There are many different sources of renewable energy, but this article will strictly focus on the most prominent ones like wind energy, solar energy, biomass energy, hydro energy and geothermal energy.

1.Wind energy

To explain it in a simple manner, wind energy is a form of energy that’s generated by the wind as an element of nature. However, there’s more to it than that of course.

Converting wind into energy isn’t just a present-day concept. Back in the days when people were completely dependent on the elements of nature, people used to generate a primitive form of wind energy as well.

Then, wind energy was immediately converted into mechanical labor by using certain old mills.

Nowadays however, scientists are working with a more modern form of wind energy. Currently, wind energy is generated by using wind generators or wind turbines.

Those devices use the natural force of the wind and convert that into electricity. To be specific, the speed of the wind makes the wicks of the wind turbines rotate at a certain pace and that process results in mechanical power.

Then, that mechanical power is transported to the generator of the wind turbine and that action is responsible for generating actual electricity.

To generate this kind of wind energy, the weather doesn’t have to be extremely windy, so it’s a very durable type of renewable energy.

However, when the wind is getting out of control, the wind turbines will automatically shut down. Otherwise, the turbines may wear out faster and this generally wouldn’t be very safe.

In order to generate the optimal amount of wind energy, it’s essential that the wind turbines are positioned in the most ideal way. That’s why they are designed to actually rotate with the wind.

That’s possible because of the electric motor of the wind turbines, seeing as it constantly adjusts itself to guarantee the most optimal position in order to get the most energy out of the wind.

I have wrote an indepth article which explains all of this and more called How Does a Wind Turbine Generate Electricity? Read it here

2.Solar energy

Solar energy may be the best-known and most popular source of renewable energy and there are good reasons for this. Namely, solar energy, as the name indicates, comes from the sun and there truly isn’t a bigger energy source thinkable than that.

Solar energy actually is a very large umbrella of a term, seeing as it’s the collective term for all types of energy that comes from the sun, both in the form of heat and light.

Because of this, there are many ways in which you could convert solar energy into electricity or warmth. However, the most common way to do this is by using solar panels that go onto the roof of your house.

Solar panels, also known as solar cells, can generate warmth and electricity when the sunlight reaches them. When sunlight falls upon a solar panel, this will cause the electrons in the silicon of the solar panel to work.

The movement of these electrons generates a form of electric current, which will ultimately cause tension in the solar panel. Finally, this whole process will result in a direct current.

The solar panels are connected to a certain type of converter and because of this converter, you will be able to enjoy warmth and electricity in your house thanks to your solar panels.

A common misconception is that solar panels supposedly don’t work efficiently when it’s not a particularly sunny day. However, that’s not right at all.

The great thing about solar panels is that they don’t need to come into direct contact with sunlight in order to be able to generate electricity and warmth. Even on cloudy days, you will still be able to enjoy electricity due to solar energy.

Admittedly, the shadow isn’t the most optimal circumstance for solar panels, but they still won’t be rendered completely useless.

3.Biomass energy

Biomass energy may be a bit less known than the above-mentioned sources of renewable energy, but it’s still worth mentioning because it’s a form of renewable energy that can really have a big, positive impact on the environment.

Biomass energy is generated by combustion, which basically means that you need to burn certain organic materials in order to generate this source of renewable energy.

The great thing about biomass is that it can consist of many different types of organic materials, ranging from wood and manure to vegetable oil and certain organic waste.

For example, something ordinary as building a bonfire is already a way to generate biomass energy, seeing as you burn wood, a type of organic material and you do that in order to generate warmth, which is a form of energy.

Thus, you can get biomass energy by either combusting the biomass material. However, more often than not, biomass needs to either be gassed or fermented first in order to get the biomass material converted into an inexhaustible source of renewable energy.

This way, biomass energy can be used to generate several forms of energy. For example, it can be used to generate green electricity, but it can also be used to generate green auto fuel, also known as biofuel. The generating process is the same in each case, so there aren’t many differences.

4.Hydro energy

Hydro energy is a source of renewable energy that is produced by using running water, without there being any harmful substances that are released in the process of generating energy.

There is plenty of water available on the earth and thus, this way of generating renewable energy is very handy and can really help us combat climate change.

Again, there are a few ways that you can generate hydro energy, but the most common way is on the basis of water turbines.

Water turbines essentially work in a similar way to wind turbines, the only difference being the specific element of nature that is used. Water turbines are placed underwater in rivers or something similar, as long as there is running water present.

Because of the flow of the water, the water turbines take action and this process results in a dynamo being powered. In turn, this action generates power en that power will ultimately get redelivered to the power grid. This way, you will be able to convert hydro energy into electricity!

Water turbines are designed in such a way that they automatically rotate when it’s ebb or flow. This way, water turbines can generate electricity, both when water flows in and when it flows out, resulting in water turbines being remarkably effective!

5.Geothermal energy

Lastly, geothermal energy is a renewable energy source that simply uses the natural heath of the earth in order to generate different forms of energy and electricity.

Geothermal energy sounds quite complicated, but the principle behind it is actually not that hard to understand.

The earth is made up of several types of strata and in some of the deeper strata, you can find warm water. The deeper the strata are, the warmer the water will be. That water gets pumped from those strata and can be directly used to generate warmth for buildings and such.

However, that’s not all. When the water reaches a certain high temperature, that water can even be used to produce electricity. That’s why geothermal energy can really prove itself to be a great asset in the business world.

To get the water out of those deep strata, two wells are drilled into the ground. One well is used to make the water reach the surface. Once that well has done its work, some type of heat exchanger takes the warmth out of the water and delivers it to the power grid.

The other well takes the water back into the strata, which makes this source of renewable energy truly inexhaustible. When this whole process is over, you will find that hydro energy is a great way to generate electricity and warmth.

Conclusion

All in all, there are many great advantages connected to the use of renewable energy sources like the ones mentioned above. These sources are not only inexhaustible and durable, but they also make a great contribution to the universal fight against climate change.

Namely, when using these sources of energy, almost no greenhouse gases are released. Lastly, they are much cheaper than traditional sources of energy like nuclear energy as well!

An indepth article that you may find interesting entitled A review of renewable energy sources, sustainability issues and climate change mitigation can be read here.