Solar and Wind Power

With environmental concerns as they are today, renewable energy is enjoying a time of heightened interest. Renewable energy can come from a number of sources such as wind, water, sunlight and heat from geothermal sources. Today, approximately 20% of the energy in the world comes from renewable sources. While most of this comes from burning wood a very large amount also comes from hydroelectricity.

Presently, approximately 20% of all the energy in the world comes from renewable sources. The most popular is simply the burning of wood to provide us with warmth and light and the second most common form of renewable energy comes on the rapidly increasing industry of hydroelectricity which is currently supplying approximately three per cent of the world’s electrical power.

Wind power, of course, is wind that is converted into electricity by way of wind turbines. This technology has however proven controversial due to the fact that it requires an enormous amount of land to build enough windmills to generate a satisfactory amount of electricity. These wind farms are not only unsightly, but they can be damaging to the local environment. Fortunately, however, they can also be placed in the sea.

Energy from water is called hydroelectricity. This kind of energy is created by way of water wheels and water mills and dams. The biggest advantage of a hydroelectric power, is that it is relatively cheap to produce and also brings us a lot of power, currently supplying the world with 19% of its electricity. Hydroelectric power can also come from waves and the force of the tides.

Another form of renewable energy is biofuel, which is derived from recently dead biological material, as opposed to fossil fuels which come from organic matter left by creatures and plant life long dead. The technology that utilises biofuel is rapidly becoming more popular, with a number of flexible fuel cars starting to appear on the market.

Finally, geothermal energy is another form of a highly effective renewable energy. This type of energy comes directly from tapping into the heat of the planet itself. Unfortunately building geothermal energy power stations is not cheap, but they are cheap to run and they produce a lot of electricity.

The market for renewable energy is rapidly growing, especially the wind power industry, which is currently experiencing a remarkable 30 per cent annual growth rate. In addition to this, or more people are getting solar power panels installed into their homes.

These are worrying times for the world today. With the rapidly growing population, comes a far higher need for energy and we are rapidly running out of non Renewable Sources of energy. However, it gives us hope to know that the industry of renewable energy is rapidly increasing and at last governments and individuals are starting to do something about the problem.