Types of renewable energy sources

We all know that global warming is a result of emission of gasses that contribute in the greenhouse effect. Much of these gases such carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen oxide are released due to the burning of fossil fuels, thanks to our ever-increasing demands for energy.

Apart from contaminating the air and leading to the global warming, rapid use of fossil fuels is leading to their depletion. This is where renewable forms of energy come in as a savior. Renewable forms of energy can be reproduced and hence do not face depletion. They are resourced from natural sources like the sunlight, wind and water and hence are clean and do not release any air-polluting gases.

Here are some forms of renewable energy sources

• Solar energy
  This energy is derived from sunlight. Solar water-heater, solar-cooker and solar lamps are widely used appliances that tap the solar radiation and convert them to heat and light.There are two ways of harnessing the energy of sun. One is using the active solar techniques where-in the solar energy is tapped through photovoltaic panels and thermal collectors. The other is through passive solar techniques, where-in the methods like orienting a building to the sun, using materials that have a thermal mass and designs that have lot of spaces for air-circulation help use maximum of sunlight.Tropical countries that have abundance of sunlight have a huge potential to tap this energy. As per government resources in India, the country has a solar energy potential of over 5,000 trillion kHW per annum.
• The wind energy
  As the name suggests, the energy here is derived from wind. Large wind turbines are used in this case, where in the energy of the wind is tapped by the circulating blades of the turbines and they later used to produce electricity. The United Kingdom and Denmark are the lead producers of wind power. Denmark’s has the largest offshore wind farm in the world, with a capacity of about 209 megawatt. The installed wind capacity in India is about 9587 MW, fourth largest in the world.
• Hydro-power
  This is the term coined for power generated from flowing water such as that of rivers and oceans. The Hoover Dam, the Akonsombo Dam in Ghana and the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington are some examples of dams worldwide that harness hydro-power.
• Geo-thermal energy
  The energy produced from the heat of the earth is called geo-thermal energy.  Some sites where this energy is being tapped are the Yellowstone basin and Northern California in the United States of America, Chile, New Zealand and Iceland.
• Bio-fuel
  Bio-fuel is the energy derived from biomass such as vegetable oils, animal fats and animal wastes. Jatrophas – a non-edible oil seed, sugarcane, corn, sweet sorghum, cassava and sugar beat are commonly available sources of bio-fuel in India. A leafy plant called dhencha that grows on water-logged soil is another bio-fuel source. Plants cellulose and lignin and algae, can also be used to produce bio-fuel, though they need an advanced technology.
• Nuclear Power
  The power or the energy derived from nuclear –a reaction is called the nuclear power. It is supposed to the cleanest and the most efficient among the alternate energy forms. This is however a topic of debate and doesn’t have unanimous support as a renewable and clean form of energy, unlike the other renewable energies.

There’s a vast potential around the world to harness natural renewable resources for energy needs, though determination and belief in them is foremost important. Many countries like Costa Rica, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway and Monaco are on the track to trap this energy. Maldives government in fact will set aside US $ 1,100 million annually for the next 20 years to become a Zero-Carbon emitting nation.

Hybrid vehicles that run on batteries are being introduced in the market. If electricity from renewable energy-sources can be used to charge these batteries, a large per cent of fuels and emission of greenhouse gases can be done away with. Renewable energy is needed now more than ever before.