The importance of using renewable energy sources at present has been repeatedly emphasized by both environmental advocates and the scientific community. Unlike conventional sources of energy such as fossil fuels like petroleum and coal, renewable sources of energy are cleaner and completely friendly to the environment. This type of energy source doesnt have harmful emissions and can be replenished constantly. Some of the well recognized types of renewable energy sources include tides, sunlight, wind, and geothermal heat. Each type of renewable energy produces power or electricity uniquely. Nonetheless, nearly all research conducted points out the advantages of using renewable energy sources as opposed to traditional ones.
Hydropower
Hydropower is one of the most widely used forms of renewable energy. Water has higher density as compared to air. A moderate water swell or common flowing stream is 800 times denser, thus, it has a definite capacity for producing significant amounts of energy. There are different ways in which water is used to generate electricity. Hydroelectric energy is a type of water energy produced from hydroelectric dams. Basically, water kept inside the dam flows through and onto a turbine which in turn generates electricity according to the current of the water. Some famous hydroelectric dams include Akosombo Dam and Washingtons very own Grand Coulee Dam
Wind power
Just like water runs on turbines to create electricity, air on the other hand goes through wind turbines. New wind turbines run on approximately 600 kW to 5 MW of power. Despite the common use of turbines that has 1.5-3 MW of power, the power produced by a turbine is, in fact, a cube of the wind speed. This means that as the air current increases, the power generated also increases considerably. Usually, wind power turbines and wind farms are placed on high altitude locations and areas near the shore where air current is particularly strong. Studies have shown that the potential output power of wind energy is about five times higher than the accumulated global output power today. In simple terms, if the wind is efficiently utilized and converted into electricity, it can produce electricity 40 times more than the current demand. However, the placement of wind farms and wind turbines is still in progress and under careful consideration.
Solar Energy
As the name implies, solar energy is a type of renewable energy that comes from the sun. Usually, it reaches the earth in the form of solar radiation. In order to generate electricity from suns heat, there are two primary components needed, heat engine and photovoltaic cells. This type of energy is separated into two different types, active solar and passive solar. Solar energy is categorized according to the manner in which it is collected and distributed. Techniques which have active solar outputs include solar thermal collectors and photovoltaic panels. Passive solar techniques include architectural designs intended to capture solar light based on the position of the building.
The use of renewable energy is not only cleaner but also more secured. That is, in terms of availability of resources, these type of resources never run out. As opposed to conventional sources such as fossil fuels of which there is very scarce future, renewable sources know no end.
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