Renewable Energy and its Applications

  By Emily Folk | May 8, 2019 - 3:02 am |

Renewable energy. Clean energy. Green

energy. Sustainable energy. Alternative Energy. Renewal Energy. No matter what you call
it, energy such as wind, solar, biomass and hydroelectric is having an impact on your life
and could have an even bigger impact in the future. Renewable energy, in the most basic
terms, is precisely what it sounds like. It’s power that comes from sources that
regenerate, unlike fossil fuels, which only exist in a limited amount.
From 2000 to 2016, the use of renewables in the United States more than doubled and is
expected to continue to grow. In 2016, they made up about 10 percent of total energy
consumption and 15 percent of electricity generation. Consumption of renewable energy
has grown in large part due to government incentives and requirements for renewable
energy and the desire to switch to cleaner fuel in order to protect the environment.
There are a number of different sources of renewable energy in use today. Here are
some of the most common ones.

Solar Energy
The U.S. solar industry has grown at an average annual rate of 68 percent over the last
decade in the form of rooftop solar panels for individual buildings, solar farms built by
utility companies and community solar projects, which produce solar for energy users in a
certain area through a collection of solar panels.
In Australia the solar industry is also increasing with a record breaking 3.5 million panels
installed last year. Queensland was the leader in solar panels that were installed.
Solar photovoltaic panels capture sunlight and convert it directly into electricity, which
can power a small device such as a watch or sent into the grid to be distributed to a
utility’s customers.

Wind Energy
People have been using windmills to utilize the wind’s energy for a long time, but today
wind turbines are used to capture that energy and turn it into electricity. There
are approximately 53,000 wind turbines operating in the United States today.
Wind turbines consist of a large tower, which is often around 100 feet tall, and several
blades that use the power of the wind to spin. The blades are connected to a shaft that
spins a generator in order to create electricity.
 Like solar energy, power generated with wind can either be used for a specific
application such as pumping water or powering a farm, or transferred into the electrical
grid to meet other energy needs.

Biomass Energy
Biomass is another common form of renewable energy. Biomass is any natural substance
such as wood, plant matter, gas from landfills and even municipal solid waste that
contains stored energy from the sun.

When those substances are burned, they release that energy, which can be used as heat
or fuel. Biomass can also be made into a liquid or gas that can be used as fuel.

Bioliquids, such as ethanol and biodiesel, are frequently used to power vehicles.
Around 40 percent of the corn grown in the U.S. today is used for biofuels. Researchers
are currently exploring new ways biomass can be used and additional substances that
could be used for biomass energy.
Hydro Energy
Hydropower, energy generated with water, is one of the oldest and the most common
renewable energy resource in the U.S., making up 6.5 percent of utility-scale electricity
generation and 44 percent of generated renewable energy.
When water flows, it produces energy. We capture this energy by allowing moving water
in rivers, waterfalls or elsewhere to turn generators that produce electricity.
Hydroelectric plants can also be man-made, as is the case with dams. Man-made
reservoirs hold water through the use of dams. That water is then released to flow
through a turbine and create electricity.

Benefits Galore
The main benefit of renewable energy sources is the fact that they release very little
greenhouse gases and so are better for the environment. Because electricity makes up
the largest share of our greenhouse gas emissions, changing how we get our energy is
crucial in the fight against global warming.
 Biofuels are increasingly being used to power vehicles

Another key advantage is the fact that they are renewable, which means we won’t ever
run out of them. This stability could make access to energy more stable in the future. It
can also keep energy prices more predictable, because the markets are subject to
changes in supply.

Renewable energy is also flexible and can power large areas or single homes.
Additionally, renewable energy projects create a number of well-paying jobs and tend to
have a significant economic impact.

Key Drawbacks
 Just like with fossil fuels, there are some disadvantages as well. Renewable energy
plants are subject to fluctuations in wind, sunlight and other natural resources, meaning
some days or in some particular months, a facility might produce more electricity than
others. Today, in areas where renewables are common, fossil fuels are often used to
make up any shortcoming in renewable energy production.

Due to their reliance on natural occurrences, renewables may fare better in some areas
than others. An area with lots of direct sun all day long will be more suitable for a solar
plant than somewhere that’s often dark and cloudy. Renewable energy farms also often
require large areas of land, and while renewable energy tends to be cheap, initial
construction and development costs can be quite high.

Despite these disadvantages, renewables are proving an important part of the energy
mix of today and of the future, especially in the face of environmental concerns and
worry about the availability of fossil fuels. Chances are we won’t see the end of the
growing renewable energy industry any time soon.