RENEWABLE ENERGY

RENEWABLE ENERGY: HOW EFFECTIVE IS OUR ENERGY SECTOR?

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Nature in all her benevolence submitted herself to us, for us to be able to harness it just the way we want. This we discovered, and we used it to meet most of our needs in ages past, except for our electrical need.

Now, the scale is off, and we have discovered that we can use various natural sources to generate different forms of renewable energy for our daily needs.

Renewable energy is much different, convenient, and healthy compared to using nonrenewable energy sources. If I stop to think of the various damages we have caused to the ecosystem, all those while that we used nonrenewable energy resources as the only means of generating electricity,  I cringe at the thought.

global data for renewable energy
RENEWABLE ENERGY TO REPRESENT 30% OF US TOTAL INSTALLED CAPACITY BY 2030

But nevertheless, we know better and we must improve the awareness of the unending benefits of renewable energy resources.

In this article, I will walk you through the various forms of renewable energy. How they are generated, the economic importance and the global consumption of renewable energy resources. happy reading!

WHAT IS RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES?

Renewable energy resources are clean sources of generating power that can be replenished. Compared to the use of dirty fossil fuels, it has to do with using the sources available to us to generate energy for our electrical needs. These sources in question can be either, solar, wind, hydroelectric, and lots more.

Why we are strongly passionate about this renewable energy and why you should consider it is because of the following:

  • It gives room for a clean environment.
  • It reduces the hazardous effect fossil fuels have on the environment.
  • This form of energy is very much cost-effective.
  • It does not emit harmful chemicals in the form of carbon dioxide.

The world and renewable energy

To further buttress on the importance of renewable energy, I will give you detailed statistics of how countries all over the world, is fast changing to a clean and free source.

As of 2019, the leading countries for installed renewable energy were, China with a capacity of 758.63. United states with a capacity of 264.5, Brazil with a capacity of 141.93, India with a capacity of 128.23. Germany with a capacity of 125.39, Canada with a capacity of 101. Japan with a capacity of 97.46, Italy with a capacity of 55.32. Russia with a capacity of 55.19, and France with a capacity of 52.93.

renewable energy statistics across all forms

As you can see for yourself, countries are fast embracing this renewable energy. Charts have been made on the increase of renewable energy in the energy world, and projections have also been made on how these might increase and completely take overcome 2050.

As you will be wondering why these countries are switching. I will clear your doubt by telling you the impact of renewable energy globally.

GLOBAL IMPACT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

Use of renewable energy helps in both economic, social and environmental improvement.

This energy resource has helped in improving the economic status of so many countries, as this is cost-effective and needs constant renewal which most times does not need money.

For example, once solar is installed, it only needs to be exposed to an adequate amount of sunlight at all times. Also, this form of energy resources tends to provide job opportunities, as many companies and government parastatal are taking interest in it, thereby requiring workforce.

Renewable energy sources improve social living standards by generating clean energy, thereby helping countries reduce the way they heat up the ecosystem, and also giving rise to a significant reduction in the use of fossil fuels.

Talking of agriculture, renewable energy sources helps in powering most of the major tools used in production of agricultural produce at a very much reduced cost.

renewable energy and agriculture
RENEWABLE ENERGY POWERED IRRIGATION IN FARMING

Having seen many of these positive impacts, so many private sectors have also embraced this clean energy source.

You can click on this link to see the fast switch by private sectors

WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY?

Having kept you waiting for long, I will tell you where this renewable energy can be gotten from, while we discuss the major sources.

SOLAR ENERGY

This energy is gotten directly from sunlight and supplies us with the full energy to meet our electrical needs.

Making use of solar panels, energy is trapped from sunlight and in turn converted to electricity, which can be used to power most, if not all of our electrical appliances.

In addition to providing electrical needs, it can be used for the charging of batteries and heating of hot water. Solar energy is much encouraged because it is very much cost-effective, as it needs only a one-time installation.

It also provides you with an energy clean home. Solar energy can be used for both small scale and large scale consumption.

WIND POWER

Feeling the wind most times, it appears as though it is moving air from one place to another. This movement is a result of uneven heating of the earth’s surface.

Should the wind just be allowed to move, without putting it into an advanced use? Obviously no, this is why wind can now be captured to give off the power by making use of large turbines that generate electricity while they spin. So solar panel is to solar, just as the turbine is to wind.

Although wind power is not the best option for homes, it is highly recommended for utility-scale applications.

Like every other renewable energy, wind power does not pollute the environment.

HYDRO POWER

Just like in the case of wind power, where electricity can be generated from moving air, it can also be generated from flowing water. In this case, the turbine is used. When moving water runs through a turbine, it spins it to produce electricity.

But do we then go to a small river to produce electricity? Obviously no, hydro power are usually produced at large damns, or water falls, because here, water drops significantly in elevation.

Just like other renewable energy sources, hydropower does not pollute the environment, but it can change the water levels, currents, and migration paths for aquatic animals. So it is not as convenient as other renewable energy sources.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

The heat trapped when the planet was formed, and the radioactive decays in rock that is deep beneath the earths crust all result in a large amount of geothermal heat energy.

Geothermal heat energy is also captured by the use of turbine. This is usually done by using steam from heated water to spin a turbine. In a geothermal spring system, there is pumping of water below the ground.

When this water is heated, it rises back to the earths surface in the form of steam. This steam is then used to spin a turbine.

In addition to providing electricity, geothermal heat is also used to provide heating or cooling to a building. Like other renewable energy sources, it does not pollute the environment, but the high cost of constructing a power plant poses a challenge. And most times it can lead to earth quake because it causes surface instability.

BIOMASS

This energy can be generated from recently living organic matters like plants and animals. This biomass are referred to as renewable because of how quality plants can be regrown. Biomass does not pollute the environment.

CONCLUSION

If the big countries can fast embrace renewable energy sources, individuals should as well move with the flow. It is already clear what you stand to gain by using renewable energy sources, so you should not be hesitant while  making this decision to switch.

You can decide to use the one most convenient for your need, and once you are around Nigeria and need further information on the one best suited for you, feel free to contact me.

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