Premium Essay

Renewable Energy

In:

Submitted By dam99
Words 5063
Pages 21
Renewable Energy
Summary
Renewable energy flows involve natural phenomena such as sunlight, wind, tides, plant growth (biomess) and geothermal heat. According to the International Energy Agency (2002), “Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly from sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth. Included in the definition is electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydropower, biomass, geothermal resources, and biofuels and hydrogen derived from renewable resources.”
Renewable energy resources and significant opportunities for energy efficiency exist over the world. Compare to other traditional energy resources like fossil fuel, which are concentrated in a limited number of countries. The rapid development of renewable energy and energy efficiency, and the technological diversification of energy resources, would provide a sustainable and stable supply of energy and a significant growth in economy for the world in a foreseeable future.

History of Renewable Energy
Prior to the development of coal in the mid 19th century, nearly all energy used was renewable. The oldest known use of renewable energy, in the form of traditional biomass to fuel fires, dates from 790,000 years ago (K. Kris, 2013). The second oldest usage of renewable energy is using the wild to drive ships over water. This can be traced back 7,000 years ago, to ships on Nile (The Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy and Sustainable Living, 2013).
Moving into the time of recorded history, the primary resources of traditional renewable energy were human labor, animal power, water power, wind and firewood (traditional biomass). By late 19 century, people concerned of running out of coal, so they promoted experiments with using solar energy. The development of solar engine continued until

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Renewable Energy

... | | | |You are required to submit a report of 2500-3000 words relating to the University of Glamorgan’s Hydrogen Research Centre at Baglan: | | | |1 | |Provide a background to the production of hydrogen from electrolysis, via renewable electricity in particular. | |...

Words: 4046 - Pages: 17

Premium Essay

Renewable Energy

...Experience with Promotion of Renewable Energy: Successes and Lessons Learned Parliamentarian Forum on Energy Legislation and Sustainable Development Cape Town, South Africa 5-7 October, 2005 Richard L. Ottinger[?] Abstract: Renewable energy is becoming economic in all markets as its rapid growth results in more competitive prices. It is particularly appropriate and increasingly being adopted for providing electric power services to rural areas in developing countries unlikely to be served by grid electricity. Policies needed to implement renewable energy systems in rural areas are discussed in this paper. Most prominent are removal of subsidies to traditional energy primarily benefiting the wealthiest; involving the local populace in decision making; educating financial institutions about the economics of investing in renewable energy systems and creating investment vehicles appropriate to financing them in poor localities; training personnel on management, maintenance and drafting contracts; requiring vendor provision of maintenance and parts; and effective regulation and oversight of system management and financing. I. Introduction The recent sharp increases in the prices of oil, natural gas, uranium and coal underline the importance for all countries to focus on development of alternative energy resources. For developing countries, these price increases can have ruinous economic consequences; for many countries already plagued by poverty this means...

Words: 14169 - Pages: 57

Premium Essay

Renewable Energy

...Energy to Change Non renewable energy sources, are exactly that, NON RENEWABLE, then why do we depend on them so much? The U.S is the number one consumer of non-renewable energy resources such as fossil fuels. The U.S consumes so many of these resources that we must import them from other countries. With the hour glass slowly empting down, many solutions have been theorized. And many of these theories are now in use. Solar power, wind energy and hydropower are some of the more popular and more widely used sources of renewable energy. The issue now isn’t coming up with a solution, it’s getting the people to accept and promote the solution. With the U.S acquiring 92% of its energy, from unsustainable sources, why isn’t there more emphasis placed on using renewable energy sources? Though it’s easy to express interest in joining the movement, how many people actually do? There isn’t much difference to be made on an individual level, to see major improvements; big corporations must be convinced to take part. The U.S government needs to increase incentives for companies promoting and using renewable energy sources. If an individual household uses only renewable energy, the effect will be insignificant, on the other hand, if a big conglomerate such as Wal-Mart would make the switch to 100% renewable energy, the impact would be felt. Not only would there own footprint be noticed, but being that it is a huge corporation; it will likely influence other companies to do the same. A...

Words: 1027 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Renewable Energy

...Renewable Energy Renewable energy sources have a huge contribution to make in creating a sustainable energy system. They help to mitigate climate change, increase the security of our global energy supply system and give developing countries access to affordable energy in support of the UN Millennium Development Goals. Renewable energy could meet almost half of global energy demand by 2050 according to the International Energy Agency’s ambitious BLUE MAP scenario published in Energy Technology Perspectives 2008. Under this scenario, world greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are halved. By the end of the century, it is conceivable that global energy needs could be supplied mainly from renewable sources, although their contribution would vary from one region to another. Research and development (R&D) has a vital role to play if the potential of renewable energy is to be fully exploited. Policy measures, such as taxes, cap and trade schemes, obligations and feed-in tariffs, which take into account environmental impacts and, in particular, the social cost of carbon dioxide emissions, will contribute to faster deployment. However, investment in R&D will not be delivered by market signals alone; extensive support at the national and international levels is needed to accelerate the development of renewable technologies. R&D targeted at different stages of the innovation chain will yield benefits in the short-term (up to five years), medium-term (5–15 years); and in the...

Words: 1495 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Renewable Energy

...2030. The country is facing pressure related to energy and the environment [1]. South Africa has rich coal deposits in the north eastern part of the country making coal a cheap and the primary source of energy in the country as about 77% of its energy needs are provided by coal [2]. Emissions from coal are a source of global concern as it has many undesirable consequences. The country is one of the top 20 carbon dioxide (CO2) emitting countries in the world as she emits in excess of 460 million metric tons and its NOx emissions exceeds 21 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent as of 2010 [3]. This emissions have potential to cause many undesirable consequences including acid rain, smog, air pollution, global warming and climate change. If these emissions are not curbed or reduced, they can cause an increase in climatic disasters such as floods, droughts and water shortages and imbalance in the ecosystem. Global warming is a threat to sustainable economic development. The Kyoto protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) aims to curb the air pollution resulting in global warming. It came into full force on February 16, 2005 requiring countries to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The need to curb the emissions necessitate the switch to renewable sources of energy; with little or no carbon emissions. Renewable sources of energy are energy gotten from repetitive flow of energy recurring in the natural environment replenished...

Words: 545 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Renewable Energy

...Renewable energy is an area where its believe that free less-distorted trade and environmental protection have the potential to be mutually reinforcing. Predominantly within the United States and Canada, demonopolization and restructuring for competition in the electrical utilities sector has led to new opportunities for renewables and there is heightened interest in Mexico, which has significant renewable energy prospective majority of which appropriate for export. The removal of barriers to trade in renewable energy equipment and technology promises to reduce the cost and increase the viability of meeting regional and global environmental obligation. The eventual possibility of regional trading schemes in Renewable Energy Certificates would permit NAFTA countries with a relative benefit in certain kinds of renewables generation — hydro-electric, geothermal-electric, wind or solar power, for instance — the chance to develop that comparative advantage by providing users of energy elsewhere a means of satisfying obligations (or voluntary commitments) to use renewable energy in their own jurisdictions. This opportunity exists even in cases where trading the energy itself is not feasible. In the US it is expected that the percentage of energy derived from non-Hydroelectric renewable sources will remain constant at approximately 7% of the total energy budget. Canada’s non-hydroelectric renewables sector is likely to repeat US trends but with large hydroelectric facilities both...

Words: 414 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Renewable Energy

...The Importance of Renewable Energy Tammy Nilsen HUM/111 12/01/2013 Renae Hellman Renewable energies are clean energies that do not pollute the air and does not contribute to the alarming increase of the greenhouse effects. The huge disadvantage to all these energies is that the producing of large amounts of electricity represents a difficulty comparing to the easiness of the energy producing by the fossil fuels. The biggest disadvantage to all renewable energy sources is that conventional utilities are not fully capable of incorporating the new technologies to make energy. There is no better alternative at the present time to renewable energies. Renewable energy is very essential because it is natural and it is considered infinite. It also creates thousands of job opportunities as it requires manpower and workmanship. Its production cost is also considered to be very low. One day all the non-renewable energy will run out and the renewable energy will be all we have left. Renewable energy is clean and leaves no pollution in the air. Using our natural resources like sunlight and wind helps to reduce the use of conventional energy which in return saves us money. Solar power is dependent on availability of sunlight. It is cheaper to generate energy naturally than it is conventionally. If we use renewable energies like wind and sunlight in place of non renewable energies like oil, we can use our natural resources without the worry of running...

Words: 360 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Renewable Energy

...Socio cultural factors 11 Population demographics 11 Technological Factors 12 Level of technology in renewable energy 12 Availability and cost of skilled employees 13 Geography 14 Renewable energy potential in Nigeria 16 Solar Energy 16 Wind Energy 17 Waste-to-energy 17 Biomass 17 Reference 19 INTRODUCTION There is higher demand for electricity in the country due to the high consumption and need for electricity, and this project is the plan to study the demand for renewable energy re- sources in Nigeria and to find out the main competitors and discover the best periods for market entry in the country via the micro and the macro environmental analysis. The demand for renewable energy in the country is being driven by the increase and urbanization access to energy intensive technologies, product and the industrial growth. The Nigerian government is wooing energy companies to come and invest in the country. Special energy policy for foreign investors is being organized, such as tax reduction for energy investors in the country, softening all policies related to energy. Nigeria has a lot of renewable energy potential such as sunlight, which might be productive for solar power, and abundance bio-waste for biomass energy production. The renewable energy products that Nigeria requires most are Solar, Hydro, Wind, & Bio-energy. Premium Renewable Energy Sdn Bhd was formed in 2007 with the objective of affecting positive environmental change at a global scale...

Words: 3695 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Renewable Energy

...Renewable energy sources are being used all over the world. Brilliant minds have devoted their lives to finding resources that do not leek greenhouse gases into the ozone, or cost large amounts of money. In the Video “New Energy Revolution,” it shows some of the renewable energy sources being used all over the world. For example, wind energy, solar power, Hybrid cars and using methane gas for stove fuel. These are all excellent examples of renewable energy as they are all affordable and convenient as well as being efficient. The question is, will people use them, or stay with the atmosphere damaging fossil fuels of today? Solar power is an excellent energy resource. The sun gives us free rays, so why not use them as a power source. The video shows Japan as a country which is educating their people about the risks of keeping the current resources and providing information on renewable energy sources, like solar power. Solar power is set out in a row of panels which take in the suns energy and provides power for homes and other things. Cars can now be solely power by solar panels, creating huge possibilities. If solar energy was used world wide, along with other renewable sources, the world would be cleaner and more pleasurable to live in, knowing that the greenhouse gases are under control. Hybrid cars are cars that run on electricity (charged) and some gas. The Hybrid car was invented to cut down the hazardous gases that are emitted by normal cars. The Hybrid car emits 90%...

Words: 1140 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Technoprneurshp - Renewable Energy

...GRE3NKARMA | Technopreneurship | Food Waste – Renewable Energy | | Amos Tan Yi Wen, Eu Wei Yi Vivian, Abdul Azziz B Abd Talib & Andy Chua Kang Ren | 2/10/2014 | | Contents 1. Executive Summary 3 2. The Company and its Operations 4 Company Background 4 Our Mission 4 Company Ownership and Management 5 Business Form: 5 Company Location and Facilities 6 Manufacturing and Operations Plan 7 Labour 7 Equipment 8 Office Equipment 8 Suppliers 9 3. Products and Services 9 Description of the product and services 9 Biogas – An Eco-Friendly Renewable source of energy 9 Components of a Biogas Plant 10 Benefits that the product and services can bring to customers 11 Unique features of the product and service 11 4. Market Analysis 12 Global and industry overview 12 Global outlook 12 Local outlook 12 Porter Five Forces 13 PEST Analysis 14 Political 14 Economic 15 Social 16 Technological 16 Competition Analysis 16 SWOT Analysis 18 Market Trends 18 Segmentation Analysis 19 Target Market (size in terms of number of potential customers or potential dollar volume) 22 5. Marketing Strategy 22 Product Strategy 22 Operational Excellence 22 Product Leadership 22 Labeling 22 Pricing Strategy 23 Penetration Pricing Strategy 23 Sales Forecast Plan 24 Market Penetration Strategy and the cost involved 24 Focus strategy/Differentiation based strategy 24 Promotion Strategy 25 Advertising 25 Sales...

Words: 7031 - Pages: 29

Premium Essay

Renewable Energy

...My Thoughts on Renewable Energy My Thoughts on Renewable Energy Renewable energy is a much debated topic in our society today. There are those who are supportive of the idea and then there are those who are strongly opposed to renewable energy efforts. Individuals who encourage renewable energy typically make a good argument about our fossil fuel shortage, harmful gases, and pollution caused by fossil fuels. They declare that renewable energy is “clean energy”. However, those opposed to renewable energy also make a convincing argument on their behalf. They claim that renewable energy is a great expense we cannot afford, it requires a large amount of land, and causes environmental damage. I have always been “pro” renewable energy. I am 23 years old and have grown up in a society that endorses and promotes renewable energy. There are commercials on television about renewable energy. There are ads on the internet about renewable energy. I see many charities and financial efforts being made to help with renewable energy. America’s motto nowadays is “go green”. I suppose because I have always seen renewable energy put in such a positive light I have always thought it was the best energy solution for us. Reading the opposing material this week has actually been the first time I have really heard about renewable energy being frowned upon. I believe that the habit that hinders my thinking in this situation is conformity. I am guilty of conforming to what society thinks is the best...

Words: 361 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Renewable Energy

...When thinking about renewable energy, we think about learning how to be able to reuse the same resources to get more energy. There are many forms in getting energy to power our homes. We also have to stop and think about where all this energy is coming from and will we run out of the all our sources to provide more energy. One way we get energy is from drilling hole in the land to be able to get oil to burn to keep running the energy, but eventually that will all end and what are we going to do. Another way is green energy, using windmills to gather enough strength in the wind to be able to create the energy and save it to keep the energy going. When you really think about between both of them is one is hurting our land by will end up drying up in the future, but in the other hand we are using natural resources to get the energy we need and will need dry up. I know the old way is a lot cheaper, but we will get what we pay for in the long run. In the new way by being green, it can be expensive, but we can save the old way in case of an emergency in the long run and it is a lot healthier for the earth. When thinking about which way is the best choice in the end, it would be natural way with green energy. Investing into green energy might be a bit more expensive, but when you look into the long run it will be a better earth, we will not over exhausting our resources, and we are looking into a brighter future with more resources. We need to stop drilling into our future and find...

Words: 356 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Renewable Energy

...hotmail2008 Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 3 Wind Energy Data 5 Analysis 6 Conclusion 8 Bibliography 9 Executive Summary The majority of our nation’s energy is highly dependent on finite fossil energy sources, like coal and oil. Using fossil fuels to create electricity creates emissions that are both harmful to the environment and our health. Renewable energy sources provide a clean and viable long term alternative to fossil fuels. Renewable energy is energy generated by natural resources in the form of solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, and tidal waves. Among the diversity of renewable energy, wind energy is the fastest growing power technology in the world. According to the U.S. government Energy Information Administration, the production of wind energy will be at least 20% by the year 2030. This report will prove the validity of this statement by using hypothesis analysis. Hypothesis analysis will reject the null hypothesis that wind energy production will be less then 20% in favor of the alternate hypothesis that states wind energy production will be at least 20% or greater. Introduction The majority of our nation’s energy is produced from the burning of fossil fuels, like coal, oil, and natural gas. Life as we know it and our economy revolves around these finite resources. Unfortunately, with our great demand for energy, especially gasoline, world production of oil has already reached its maximum capacity and seems to...

Words: 1694 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Renewable Energy

...In the debate between Professor Andrea Larson and U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander called Is Renewable Energy Green? , I would have taken the side of Lamar Alexander. Both sides make valid points when talking about renewable energy as the future, especially analyzing the pros and cons of using wind mill farms to harness power for the United States. Senator Lamar Alexander uses the essay “Energy Sprawl or Energy Efficiency: Climate Policy Impacts on Natural Habitat for the United States of America” to help address the issues of using certain types of renewable energies in a large scale as a solution to America’s energy shortage. He continues to address the varying amounts of land that will have to be used just to harness the renewable energy. The wind turbines can be over 50 stories high creating disturbances in the local environment such as loud noise, wasted space, and intense lighting. It is estimated that a 1.5 megawatt wind turbine will take up around 90 acres of land and, according to the reading, 186,000 1.5 megawatt wind turbines are required to represent 20% of America’s electricity. In other words wind turbines are not the answer to America’s electricity production due to the overall land consumption of these turbines. Also wind is only available where it wants to be available. In the mid-west, where there is room to make a wind turbine farm, wind can be unpredictable and sometimes barely there. Like it says in the reading, along the coast is obviously where there is a...

Words: 420 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Renewable Energies

...Renewable energy is generally defined as energy that comes from resources which are naturally replenished on a human timescale such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat. Renewable energy replaces conventional fuels in four distinct areas: electricity generation, air and water heating/cooling, motor fuels, and rural energy services. Based on REN21's 2014 report, renewables contributed 19 percent to our global energy consumption and 22 percent to our electricity generation in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Both, modern renewables, such as hydro, wind, solar and biofuels, as well as traditional biomass, contributed in about equal parts to the global energy supply. Worldwide investments in renewable technologies amounted to more than US$214 billion in 2013, with countries like China and the United States heavily investing in wind, hydro, solar and biofuels. Renewable energy resources exist over wide geographical areas, in contrast to other energy sources, which are concentrated in a limited number of countries. Rapid deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency is resulting in significant energy security, climate change mitigation, and economic benefits. In international public opinion surveys there is strong support for promoting renewable sources such as solar power and wind power. At the national level, at least 30 nations around the world already have renewable energy contributing more than 20 percent of energy supply. National renewable energy markets...

Words: 7346 - Pages: 30