Renewable energy

Using renewable energy means producing heat and power without the use of fossil fuels by harnessing natural resources such as the sun, wind, water, and bioenergy. Fossil fuels, which include coal, oil, and natural gas, are scarce resources that produce a lot of pollution, particularly carbon emissions that fuel global warming. Renewable energy is environmentally friendly and sustainable. The primary categories are as follows:

1.Solar Power

• What is it: Solar energy is the conversion of sunlight into heat or electricity through the use of solar thermal systems or solar panels.
• How they operate: Sunlight is absorbed by solar panels, which are typically mounted on rooftops or in solar farms, and is then converted into power. Solar thermal systems warm water or produce power by harnessing solar radiation.
• Why is it important? There is an endless supply of clean energy available from the sun. Fossil fuel pollution is decreased when solar power is utilized.
• Problem: Since solar energy is only effective during the day when the sun is shining, inclement weather or nightfall need the use of energy storage or backup devices.

2. Wind Power

• What it is: Wind energy employs wind turbines to harness the wind's energy to create power.
• How a wind turbine operates: When the wind blows, its big blades revolve, spinning an internal generator that generates power.
Why it matters: Apart from the pollution caused by the building of turbines, wind energy is a plentiful and free resource.
• Challenge: The consistency of wind energy is contingent upon the strength of the wind. Additionally, room is needed, particularly for large wind farms.

3. Hydro Energy

• Hydropower harnesses the energy of water moving from higher to lower elevations. It can be generated from reservoirs and rivers. Reservoir hydropower plants rely on stored water in a reservoir, while run-of-river hydropower plants harness energy from the available flow of the river.
• Hydropower reservoirs often have multiple uses - providing drinking water, water for irrigation, flood and drought control, navigation services, as well as energy supply.
• Hydropower currently is the largest source of renewable energy in the electricity sector. It relies on generally stable rainfall patterns, and can be negatively impacted by climate-induced droughts or changes to ecosystems which impact rainfall patterns.
• The infrastructure needed to create hydropower can also impact on ecosystems in adverse ways. For this reason, many consider small-scale hydro a more environmentally-friendly option, and especially suitable for communities in remote locations.

4. Bio energy

Bioenergy is produced from a variety of organic materials, called biomass, such as wood, charcoal, dung and other manures for heat and power production, and agricultural crops for liquid biofuels. Most biomass is used in rural areas for cooking, lighting and space heating, generally by poorer populations in developing countries.

Modern biomass systems include dedicated crops or trees, residues from agriculture and forestry, and various organic waste streams.

Energy created by burning biomass creates greenhouse gas emissions, but at lower levels than burning fossil fuels like coal, oil or gas. However, bioenergy should only be used in limited applications, given potential negative environmental impacts related to large-scale increases in forest and bioenergy plantations, and resulting deforestation and land-use change.

For more information on renewable sources of energy, please check out the following websites:

• International Renewable Energy Agency | Renewables
• International Energy Agency | Renewables
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change | Renewable Sources of Energy
• UN Environment Programme | Roadmap to a Carbon-Free Future
• Sustainable Energy for All | Renewable Energy

Why Is Renewable Energy Important?

Utilizing geothermal, wind, and solar energy lowers our reliance on fossil fuels. This is critical since fossil fuels are a limited resource, a source of pollution, and a contributor to climate change. We can reduce carbon emissions, save the ecosystem, and build a sustainable future with less damage to the climate and cleaner air by moving to renewable energy.