Types Of Renewable Energy

Usually the fuel that we use for various activities are extracted from non renewable sources that would one day run out. These resources include coal, oil and gas. These non renewable resources that are found beneath the earth's crust formed due to the desiccation of fossils that has been accumulating for million of years.

Through these sources electricity, petrol and diesel on which the entire population depends, is produced. Due to the massive increase in the human population over the years the demand of these fuels have also increased which has lead to a shortage of non renewable resources.

Scientists believe that if the process continues within a century of time we will run out of these fuels. A part from this fact, the processes of extracting energy from these sources are responsible for damaging the earth’s natural environment causing global warming.

On the contrary to the above stated facts the renewable energy is the energy which is extracted from the sources which have an infinite supply of energy that can never run out.

These resources are those resources that are either produced again and again unlike the nonrenewable resources that formed due to the accumulation of fossils, or they are ever present for example sun and sea.

Since the energy that is extracted from the renewable resources is taken from the naturally occurring processes it has no harm on the earth’s environment.

Today in many cases the renewable energy is taking place of the nonrenewable energy in order to conserve the nonrenewable resources and to protect the earth’s environment.

Talking about the types of renewable, there are major five types of energy which are classified on the basis of the sources from which they were extracted. Below are the five main types of renewable energy:

Energy that is extracted from the living things is known as the biomass energy.

It is a rule that every living being on earth dies a new life takes place of the old one.

If fuel is extracted from a living thing, it can never run out because as long as the earth will live these sources will keep on producing.

Petrol which is produced from the wood of trees, gas produced by the enzymatic actions of various micro organisms are the two common sources of biomass energy.

Energy extracted from the water is known as the hydropower energy. Usually electricity is produced from this energy.

The 75% of the earth’s surface is covered with water and of course the earth would never dry up and run out of water.

Today most of the countries produce electricity through hydropower energy.

Dams and reservoirs are built on lakes and rivers which collect water and the water goes to the turbines which rotate and extract the energy which produces electricity.

Water is an extremely reliable source for producing electricity because not only the water from the seas will never run out but also that a small amount of water can produce electricity enough for a small village.

Today more than half of the world uses water energy to produce electricity. Although this electricity is produced using river water, by forming dams, yet there are many new technologies that can utilize energy from sea current to produce electricity.

The energy extracted from the sunlight is known as the solar energy. Sun has been and will always be there so obviously it is the most reliable natural resource. The sunlight’s energy can be used for many functions.

Most importantly it can be used to produce electricity. The concept of producing electricity from the sunlight emerged during the mid of 20^th century and ever since it has been applied in various parts of the world.

For example in Kenya most of the electricity that is produced is by the sunlight. The sunlight is converted into electricity through the photovoltaic cells. These cells of different units obtain the sunlight directly and convert it into electricity.

Other than electricity solar energy can be used to warm water and to keep your house warm through solar panels.

Wind can be another source to produce electricity. The concept of producing electricity through wind is not new and in many rural areas electricity is produced by wind.

The electricity through wind is produced by building a large tower with a propeller on the top. When the wind hits the propeller electricity is produced.

A wind is a good source for producing electricity but it is not as reliable as the solar power or the hydropower as it can only produce electricity in windy areas other than that wind is not something that blows everyday with the same intensity therefore it can be very unreliable at times.

Geothermal Energy

The geothermal energy is the produced from the heat of the earth crust. This energy is mostly used to centrally heat a house or a building or to heat water.