Types of Renewable Energy

Eco-friendly and Renewable Energy Primer

There are several types of renewable energy available today, however before I explain each source and it's pros and cons, let's look at what renewable energy is and why it is important.

What is Renewable Energy?

Renewable energy comes from sources that are natural and that can be naturally replenished in a quick amount of time. It also has the potential to offer energy in the future as well.

Energy that comes from fossil fuels causes a lot of environmental issues. When you burn fossil fuels, they generate various greenhouse gases, which get trapped in the atmosphere, which leads to a warming of the climate.

Also, fossil fuels will eventually run out and it takes many years to naturally reproduce them as well. This is why we need renewable energy that is better for the environment and is renewable.

Renewable Energy Sources

There are many different types of renewable energy that we know about today. Here is a look at some of the options out there.

Wind Power

Wind power is renewable energy that comes from the wind and wind turbines can be used to harness the wind to provide electricity. Many countries are beginning to use wind power. This solution is a bit expensive, but researchers are trying to find better ways that the wind power can be exploit.

Solar Power

Solar power is one of the most commonly known types of renewable energy. Solar panels can be used to collect the energy from the sun. It is a great way to achieve independence energy for your home, plus it is an excellent resource of energy since nothing is taken from the earth to produce it. However you do have to have the proper equipment to harness the sun.

Hydro Power

Hydro power takes the power from a flowing body of water. It uses that inertia to spin turbines or to offer power. This type of energy has been used for many years to power mills to grind grain or to power homes.

Tidal Power

Tidal power uses the kinetic energy of the tides moving out and moving in. Special turbines can tap this energy, but the costs and maintenance are huge, which is definitely a drawback.

Biomass

This type of energy is created by living or recently living organisms being burned to generate the energy. However, there are challenges that are very similar to that of fossil fuels when it comes to burning these materials.

Wave Power

Wave power is another method of harnessing water. It uses special floating structure that move along with the waves and takes that movement and makes it into electricity. This is a new form of renewable energy and still needs quite a bit of work to make it effective.

These are just a few of the options available when it comes to renewable energy. Other types of renewable energy include biogas, biofuel, and geothermal power.

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