Renewable Energy

Renewable energy encompasses a wide range of alternative energies and technologies. The most popular forms of renewable energy are geothermal, solar, wave, hydropower, biomass, wind power, hydroelectricity and fuel-cell technologies. These technologies are used in different applications across several sectors and have been developed and refined over many years. Energy generated by renewable sources can be utilized to meet power demand in a sustainable way. This is important as the depletion of fossil fuels like coal and crude oil shows no sign of being curbed, despite public policies to the contrary.

Renewable energy has many distinct advantages. For example, using it to supply the power needs of your house can save you thousands of dollars a year you would otherwise pay for electricity generated from fossil fuels. This is especially true if you live in an area where there is a high need for power. Also, renewable energy reduces the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the burning of fossil fuels for domestic power generation. Wind and solar technologies are extremely efficient and environmentally friendly, so they make very good sense for providing power needs.

There are two primary ways to exploit renewable energy sources; passive and active systems. The passive method involves using spaces such as buildings, tunnels, etc. to trap heat and sun, and use this heat and light to generate electricity; whereas active systems involve the construction of windmills or solar farms to drive wind turbines or solar panels to power homes. Both systems are extremely effective, but the passive systems will significantly reduce your electricity bill while the active ones will make your power bills more expensive.