List of the Largest Renewable Energy Resources
The world has three types of energy sources.
Those which once used, are gone: Nonrenewable Resources.
Those which will last until the end of time: Perpetual Energy Resources.
Those which once used can be used again: Renewable Energy Resources.
A sample of the three would be Coal, Sun Energy and Ethanol.
Every time we light a coal brick, it's gone.
It can never be used again and it is not being replenished in time enough for us to recover it.
The sunlight is constant and will remain so for the next 4 billion years.
Any energy we harness from sunlight is energy that does not effect the amount of energy that the sun has.
The tertiary example, Ethanol, can be harvested from corn plants which once harvested can quickly be raised again to be cultivated within months.
So the energy collected from the corn is easily replaceable and be replaced swiftly after being used.
These two conditions are what are needed to identify a resource as being renewable.
The List of Renewable Resources This planet is prolific in energy sources and as we grow as a people we are accessing pockets of new ideas that only a few years ago was only found in science fiction novels.
Also thankfully due to the pressure of green blogs and invested individuals in the green and sustainable development movement, leaders and countries are feeling the tension to try and expand our energy base and to support the advance of renewable resources.
This list also has perpetual energy resources, as technically they are listed as being renewable.
Solar Energy: Solar energy is easily the most bountiful power source that we can access on Earth and even yet only.
54% of the world is powered by solar power.
Every single person in Europe could be provided power if only.
3% of the Sahara desert was harnessed.
A tiny fraction of a fraction of Earth's surface area.
Each minute that energy touches the Earth it's thrown away on warming the ground beneath our feet.
Solar has seen a push in desert countries such as Israel where nearly all homes have a solar panel on their roofs.
Solar is also one of the most developed renewable energy sources and has a huge capital investment in new science.
It is also one of the cleanest, if not the cleanest, renewable energy we have on Earth.
The only downside is that solar panels are expensive to produce and take up to ten years to repay for their initial cost.
Hydroelectric Power: 3% of the world is currently run off hydro power.
The countries that produce the most hydropower are the ones of with the widest rivers.
So Brazil, Canada, United States and China all generate a great amount of power from their rivers.
Hydro power does have more downsides than solar, and many of them are discussed in a few other articles.
The biggest problem with hydro is the very high start up price, which often run large plants into tens of millions of dollars.
Another large problem is the creation of reservoirs due to damming which often cause the mass movement of hundreds to millions of people who had lived there.
But once a hydro power plant is built the energy collected is set and can easily be scaled up if demand starts to grow.
Biomass and Biofuel: 4.
2% of the planet currently runs off biomass energy and biofuels, even though that prior to the 1800's it was the most popular form of power in the world.
Bioethanols and biodiesels have grown sharply in the world energy market over the last decade, especially in places such as South America where practically everything runs off a biofuel.
In the United States nearly every vehicle now has a gasohol mixture in their cars gas tank at the moment.
Only a few years ago, it wasn't like this.
Compared to gasoline or a petrochemical diesel, biofuels are unpolluting, renewable, cost efficient and increasing in supply.
There is a downside|negative problem of decreased mileage ratings with pure bioethanols and biodiesels but as technology develops I'm sure that this will be a non issue.
Wind Power: Only.
3% of the world uses wind energy as an power source, even though I can look out my window this second and see the trees swaying by wasted energy.
Wind energy has been gaining some popularity in recent years and has seen a worldwide growth rate of 30% in 2010.
Denmark now produces 20% of it's electricity from wind power and almost 10% of the electricity produced in Spain and Portugal is from wind energy.
Wind power suffers some serious problems when trying to use it on a world wide scale.
One of the largest issues is that it's just too unreliable.
Wind blows and wind goes, but it's difficult to predict and currently we have no science to scale the amount of energy from a wind turbine to take advantage of stronger winds, although that is more of an issue relating to charging batteries than wind turbines.
There has also been some ridiculous backlash from property owners who just dislike the sight of the structures.
Unfortunately, since many wind farms are on the sea shore and the most expensive properties are also by the sea, local politicians and policy makers have to respond to these rich complainers.
Tidal Energy: This is not yet a scientifically possible renewable resource.
There hasn't been that much attraction nor interest in tidal energy stations due to their novelty and the lack of incentives to attempt any new projects.
There is one plant in the UK and also in Portugal but these are small.
Tidal power is resourceful and also can be expanded as it works on the same concept as damming a river, just that now you dam up a bay instead.
It's expensive and risky to try but possibly in the future scientists may develop it after the success of the Scotland and Portugal plants.
Geothermal Power: Geothermal power has been used for thousands of years but currently only supplies our planet with.
2% of it's electricity.
It can not be used anywhere and the amount of energy the plants create drops with time.
But it has seen successful implementation in Iceland, El Salvador and the Philippines where each country garnered over 25% of it's electricity from geothermal power plants.
It's initial investments are very high which is one of it's largest draw backs.
The other problem is that geothermal energy plants only work in areas near shear zones where there is a high heat gradient.
So on the edges of continents or near volcanic islands, anywhere prone to volcanoes erupting and earthquakes.
There are other renewable resources out there such as algae biodiesels, which are a recent innovation in biofuel supply or new types of solar technologies.
As our air quality degrades, and the ozone holes re-open, and the planet heats up, we will all see a greater push for renewable power resources and I hope that you will be part of that movement.
It doesn't take much to be more energy efficient.
The easiest thing you can do right now is just to replace your old incandescent light bulbs for newer CFL's.
It'll save you money and they will last longer.
Just that one act alone says volumes to our politicians about what we need to see in our future.
A healthier and green planet, no longer throwing away resources but reusing them.
Those which once used, are gone: Nonrenewable Resources.
Those which will last until the end of time: Perpetual Energy Resources.
Those which once used can be used again: Renewable Energy Resources.
A sample of the three would be Coal, Sun Energy and Ethanol.
Every time we light a coal brick, it's gone.
It can never be used again and it is not being replenished in time enough for us to recover it.
The sunlight is constant and will remain so for the next 4 billion years.
Any energy we harness from sunlight is energy that does not effect the amount of energy that the sun has.
The tertiary example, Ethanol, can be harvested from corn plants which once harvested can quickly be raised again to be cultivated within months.
So the energy collected from the corn is easily replaceable and be replaced swiftly after being used.
These two conditions are what are needed to identify a resource as being renewable.
The List of Renewable Resources This planet is prolific in energy sources and as we grow as a people we are accessing pockets of new ideas that only a few years ago was only found in science fiction novels.
Also thankfully due to the pressure of green blogs and invested individuals in the green and sustainable development movement, leaders and countries are feeling the tension to try and expand our energy base and to support the advance of renewable resources.
This list also has perpetual energy resources, as technically they are listed as being renewable.
Solar Energy: Solar energy is easily the most bountiful power source that we can access on Earth and even yet only.
54% of the world is powered by solar power.
Every single person in Europe could be provided power if only.
3% of the Sahara desert was harnessed.
A tiny fraction of a fraction of Earth's surface area.
Each minute that energy touches the Earth it's thrown away on warming the ground beneath our feet.
Solar has seen a push in desert countries such as Israel where nearly all homes have a solar panel on their roofs.
Solar is also one of the most developed renewable energy sources and has a huge capital investment in new science.
It is also one of the cleanest, if not the cleanest, renewable energy we have on Earth.
The only downside is that solar panels are expensive to produce and take up to ten years to repay for their initial cost.
Hydroelectric Power: 3% of the world is currently run off hydro power.
The countries that produce the most hydropower are the ones of with the widest rivers.
So Brazil, Canada, United States and China all generate a great amount of power from their rivers.
Hydro power does have more downsides than solar, and many of them are discussed in a few other articles.
The biggest problem with hydro is the very high start up price, which often run large plants into tens of millions of dollars.
Another large problem is the creation of reservoirs due to damming which often cause the mass movement of hundreds to millions of people who had lived there.
But once a hydro power plant is built the energy collected is set and can easily be scaled up if demand starts to grow.
Biomass and Biofuel: 4.
2% of the planet currently runs off biomass energy and biofuels, even though that prior to the 1800's it was the most popular form of power in the world.
Bioethanols and biodiesels have grown sharply in the world energy market over the last decade, especially in places such as South America where practically everything runs off a biofuel.
In the United States nearly every vehicle now has a gasohol mixture in their cars gas tank at the moment.
Only a few years ago, it wasn't like this.
Compared to gasoline or a petrochemical diesel, biofuels are unpolluting, renewable, cost efficient and increasing in supply.
There is a downside|negative problem of decreased mileage ratings with pure bioethanols and biodiesels but as technology develops I'm sure that this will be a non issue.
Wind Power: Only.
3% of the world uses wind energy as an power source, even though I can look out my window this second and see the trees swaying by wasted energy.
Wind energy has been gaining some popularity in recent years and has seen a worldwide growth rate of 30% in 2010.
Denmark now produces 20% of it's electricity from wind power and almost 10% of the electricity produced in Spain and Portugal is from wind energy.
Wind power suffers some serious problems when trying to use it on a world wide scale.
One of the largest issues is that it's just too unreliable.
Wind blows and wind goes, but it's difficult to predict and currently we have no science to scale the amount of energy from a wind turbine to take advantage of stronger winds, although that is more of an issue relating to charging batteries than wind turbines.
There has also been some ridiculous backlash from property owners who just dislike the sight of the structures.
Unfortunately, since many wind farms are on the sea shore and the most expensive properties are also by the sea, local politicians and policy makers have to respond to these rich complainers.
Tidal Energy: This is not yet a scientifically possible renewable resource.
There hasn't been that much attraction nor interest in tidal energy stations due to their novelty and the lack of incentives to attempt any new projects.
There is one plant in the UK and also in Portugal but these are small.
Tidal power is resourceful and also can be expanded as it works on the same concept as damming a river, just that now you dam up a bay instead.
It's expensive and risky to try but possibly in the future scientists may develop it after the success of the Scotland and Portugal plants.
Geothermal Power: Geothermal power has been used for thousands of years but currently only supplies our planet with.
2% of it's electricity.
It can not be used anywhere and the amount of energy the plants create drops with time.
But it has seen successful implementation in Iceland, El Salvador and the Philippines where each country garnered over 25% of it's electricity from geothermal power plants.
It's initial investments are very high which is one of it's largest draw backs.
The other problem is that geothermal energy plants only work in areas near shear zones where there is a high heat gradient.
So on the edges of continents or near volcanic islands, anywhere prone to volcanoes erupting and earthquakes.
There are other renewable resources out there such as algae biodiesels, which are a recent innovation in biofuel supply or new types of solar technologies.
As our air quality degrades, and the ozone holes re-open, and the planet heats up, we will all see a greater push for renewable power resources and I hope that you will be part of that movement.
It doesn't take much to be more energy efficient.
The easiest thing you can do right now is just to replace your old incandescent light bulbs for newer CFL's.
It'll save you money and they will last longer.
Just that one act alone says volumes to our politicians about what we need to see in our future.
A healthier and green planet, no longer throwing away resources but reusing them.
Source...