What is Solar Energy?

There are many benefits to clean energy , and it’s not just about the fact that it is “green”. The industry is expanding and creating jobs. It also makes electricity grids more durable and increases the availability of energy for the developing world. And it helps lower energy prices. All of these factors have been a factor in the recent rise of renewable energy sources, which has seen wind and solar set new records in electricity generation.

In the last 150 years, mankind has relied heavily upon oil, coal and other fossil fuels to power everything including light bulb to automobiles and factories to automobiles to cars. The greenhouse gases generated by fossil fuels burning have hit record records.

The average temperature of the surface is rising because greenhouse gases trap heat that could otherwise go out into space. Global warming is one of the signs that climate changes are taking place. Scientists use the term to describe the complex changes that affect the climate and weather systems of our planet. Climate change includes increasing temperatures extreme weather events changing habitats for wildlife and populations, rising seas and many other impacts.

Renewables, like any other source of energy come with their own trade-offs. One of these is the definition of renewable electricity. Renewable energy, in its strictest sense is precisely what you might believe. It’s either always accessible or, as according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration declares, “virtually unlimited.” Although, “renewable,” does not necessarily mean sustainable . There are opponents to large Hydropower Dams and corn-based Ethanol. It doesn’t include other sources that have emission-free or low emissions that also have advocates like energy efficiency and nuclear power.

3 Examples of Renewable Energy sources

Hydropower: People have used the power of rivers for many centuries in order to tap into their energy, and to build dams to regulate the flow of water. The biggest source of national renewable energy labs is hydropower. It is the largest producer of hydropower, with China, Brazil and Canada as the leading producers. Although hydropower can theoretically be a source of clean energy that is replenished by snow or rain, there are several downsides.

Large dams can disrupt river ecosystems and communities. This can result in the displacement of residents and wildlife. Silt build-up can cause hydropower generation to be less efficient and damage equipment. The drought can also cause issues. According to a 2018 study, carbon dioxide emission levels in the Western U.S. were 100 megatons higher than usual over a 15-year period. This was due to utilities turning to gas and coal to replace lost hydropower because of drought. Hydropower even at its full capacity is not without its emission issues because the organic matter that is decomposing in reservoirs releases methane.

Not only are dams the most efficient method to harness the power of water, but so is tide and wave energy. Although marine energy projects generate less than 1% of all renewables however, they can produce 500 megawatts. This is a trend that has been boosted by programs like The Saltire Prize in Scotland.

Wind: The energy of wind has been used as a source of energy for over seven thousand years. Wind turbines that generate electricity are now popping up across the globe and include China, the U.S. The United States and Europe are the largest producers of wind energy. Between 2001 to 2017, the world’s accumulated wind power grew by 22-fold. It was 23,900 mw and it could produce 539,000 megawatts.

While some may be displeased about the way wind turbines appear at the horizon, or the noise, wind energy is becoming too valuable to ignore, due to its decreasing cost. Although most wind power is generated from onshore turbines most of it is generated by offshore wind farms. Most prominently, they are located those in U.K. and Germany. In 2016, the very first U.S. offshore wind farms was launched located in Rhode Island. The other offshore developments are getting more attention. Wind turbines are a danger to birds and bats. They kill thousands of bats and birds annually, but they are not as numerous as collisions with glass or other threats such as habitat loss and invading species. Engineers are looking for ways to make them safe for flying wildlife.

Solar: Solar cells are changing the energy industry across the globe and are being used on rooftops in homes to large-scale farms. The photovoltaic panel’s installed capacity has increased by 4,300 percent during the period between 2007 and 2017.

In addition to solar panels that convert direct sunlight to electricity Concentrating sunlight power (CSP), plants also employ mirrors to focus solar power plants, and to extract thermal energy. The U.S., Japan and China are the leaders in solar transformation. But solar needs a lot to be done. In 2017 the U.S. generated around two percent of the electricity. In the world, solar thermal power is being utilized for solar cooling and heating as well as hot water.

Solar energy can be used to power your home

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