Renewable Energy Information

Renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies are key to creating a clean energy future for not only the nation, but the world.

Renewable energy technologies range from solar power, wind power, and hydroelectricity to biomass and biofuels for transportation. About 13 percent of primary energy comes from renewable, with most of this coming from traditional biomass like wood-burning. Hydropower is the next largest source, providing 2-3%, and modern technologies like geothermal, wind, solar, and marine energy together produce less than 1% of total world energy demand. The technical potential for their use is very large, exceeding all other readily available sources.

There are various companies in UK like ENER.G providing information on energy efficiency and various applications of renewable energy.

Renewable Energy Sources and Technologies:

1. Biomass Energy

Biomass energy is created by harvesting organic matter, such as wood or special ‘energy crops’, and converting it into heat, electricity or transport fuel.

• Biofuels —Biogas typically refers to a (biofuel) gas produced by the anaerobic digestion or fermentation of organic matter including manure, sewage sludge, municipal solid waste, biodegradable waste or any other biodegradable feedstock, under anaerobic conditions. Biogas is comprised primarily of methane and carbon dioxide.
• Biopower — burning biomass directly, or converting it into gaseous or liquid fuels that burn more efficiently, to generate electricity.
• Bioproducts — converting biomass into chemicals for making plastics and other products that typically are made from petroleum.

2. Geothermal energy

Geothermal power (from the Greek words geo, meaning earth, and therme, meaning heat) is energy generated by heat stored beneath the Earth’s surface. Prince Piero Ginori Conti tested the first geothermal power plant on 4 July 1904.

• Geothermal direct use — producing heat directly from hot water within the earth.
• Geothermal electricity production — generating electricity from the earth’s heat.
• Geothermal heat pumps — using the shallow ground to heat and cool buildings.

3. Solar Energy

Solar energy is energy from the sun. This energy drives climate and weather and supports virtually all life on Earth. Heat and light from the sun, along with solar-based resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for over 99.9 percent of the available flow of renewable energy.

Solar energy technologies harness the sun’s energy for practical ends. These technologies date from the time of the early Greeks, Native Americans and Chinese, who warmed their buildings simply by orienting them toward the sun. Modern solar technologies continue to harness the sun, but in more innovative ways, to provide heating, lighting, electricity and even flight.

• Concentrating solar power systems — Using the sun’s heat to produce electricity.
• Passive solar heating — Using solar energy to heat and light buildings.
• Photovoltaic (solar cell) systems — Producing electricity directly from sunlight.
• Solar hot water — Heating water with solar energy..

4. Wind power

Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into useful form, such as electricity, using wind turbines. At the end of 2006, worldwide capacity of wind-powered generators was 73.9 gigawatts; although it currently produces just over 1% of world-wide electricity use, it accounts for approximately 20% of electricity production in Denmark, 9% in Spain, and 7% in Germany. Globally, wind power generation more than quadrupled between 2000 and 2006.

Most modern wind power is generated in the form of electricity by converting the rotation of turbine blades into electrical current by means of an electrical generator. In windmills (a much older technology), wind energy is used to turn mechanical machinery to do physical work, such as crushing grain or pumping water.