Sources of Renewable Energy - Overview: Renewable Energy Articles: Eco20/20

Sources of Renewable Energy - Overview

All the energy that comes from resources which are naturally replenished is classified as renewable energy. Major sources of renewable energy include sunlight, rain, wind, and tides.

Renewable energy gained a lot of momentum in the last couple of years, in the context of climate change, of high oil prices, and of the numerous environmental issues that trouble the planet.

In 2008 it is estimated that up to 19% of the total global energy consumed came from renewable sources. 3.2% of that value was represented by hydroelectricity while the rest amounted to traditional biomass used for heating. Other modern sources of renewable energy such as wind, geothermal, solar, and biofuels are also being adopted quickly around the globe.

Renewable Energy Types

One of the sources of renewable energy that is rapidly gaining on a large scale is hydroelectricity which provides about 15% of the total electricity consumed worldwide. Germany is a leading country when it comes to the overall number of hydroelectricity plants on its territory.

Another important source of renewable energy is wind power which is used mainly in the United States, Europe, and Asia. With an industry that grows by 30% every year, wind power is believed to have a fantastic potential. The American state of Texas is well-known for its mass use of wind farms. In Europe, Scandinavian countries use wind power at a large scale; also, many leading companies in the industry are based in them. United Kingdom, even though somewhat behind other countries when it comes to wind power, recently inaugurated the largest wind farm in the world.

Solar thermal power, which is especially adopted in Spain and the United States, and geothermal power are two other sources of renewable energy which are highly effective in supplying households with energy.

Ethanol fuel is also a major source of renewable energy. It is derived from sugar cane and is used to power automotive vehicles. Currently Brazil is the country that utilizes ethanol fuel on the largest scale: 18% of its automobiles use it. United States, even though the largest producer of ethanol in the world, is still a long way from using it en-mass as a fuel for automobiles.

Renewable energy is also available at a smaller scale. For example, 160 million people use biomass cook-stoves in their houses while about 3 million households use small solar PV systems to generate the power required for heating.

Widespread

Primary sources of renewable energy can be divided into three broad categories according to their use:

Power generation. Some countries use sources of renewable energy to generate most of the power their inhabitants require. Iceland gets all its power from renewable energy, Brazil gets 84%, and Austria 62%.

Fuels. Estimates claim the global biofuel production in 2009 reached 93 billion liters. Even though presently oil is still indispensable, its consumption is steadily declining.

Heating. China is known for using solar installations to heat water in apartment buildings. Estimates claim that up to 70 million households globally use solar installations.

Renewable Energy Companies

Numerous companies specialized in renewable energy have been founded in the last decade and even more are expected to emerge in the years to come as the industry develops. Some of the major companies active now include Americas Wind Energy Corporation, Ascent Solar Technologies, Evergreen Solar, and Phoenix Solar.