What is Renewable Energy?Renewable Energy comes from sources that do not deplete over years such as sun, wind, oceans and plants. Renewable energy technologies convert those source of primary energy such as wind and solar to energy forms that we can readily use, including heat and electricity. There are numerous ways to convert primary energy forms into consumable forms of energy. Electricity is perhaps the most precious form of energy, as it is most versatile in usage. However, electricity cannot be stored and has to be consumed instantly. Due to the intermittent nature of many renewable sources, the issue of storing electricity is of particular importance. Surplus energy can be used to pump water up to damed mountain lakes or to re-charge batteries. Hydrogen, on the other hand, is an energy carrier, a fuel that is man-made. |
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Renewables in comparisonWe are showcasing a number of renewable energy technologies here on the website. One question that is often asked is: Which one is the best? As always, it depends on circumstances such as geographic location, availability of space, capital costs, operational costs, and environmental concerns. Hence, renewable energy technologies do necessarily compete with each other purely based on price. Here is a table for rough comparisons.
Three Sources of Renewable Energy |
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The various forms of renewable energy can be traced back to three primary sources: Solar radiation, heat from within the earth and gravitational forces between the earth, the sun, the moon and other stars. |
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Most of the renewable energy potential stems from solar, though some forms are indirect solar forms:
The solar radiation that is not consumed by the indirect uses, is available for conversion in solar thermal, ocean thermal or photovoltaic devices. Renewable energy sources that do not depend on solar radiation are:
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