What is renewable energy?
What is renewable energy? If you’ve been paying attention to energy topics in the news in recent years, you’ve probably heard the term ‘renewable energy’ bandied about a fair bit. Unfortunately, though, if you don’t already understand the subject, it can be hard to fully grasp the implications of what you’re reading or hearing about renewable energy projects – so we’re here to help you take the first step towards learning more about where our energy comes from. What is a renewable energy source? To understand what a renewable energy source is, you first have to understand what the term ‘renewable’ means in this context. If energy can be neither created nor destroyed, then surely all energy is renewable, right? Wrong. The majority of energy sources could, by a technicality, be considered renewable because they do, in time, renew themselves. The distinction, however, lies in how quickly the source is replenished. In order to be considered truly renewable, an energy source must renew itself at faster rates than it is used up. Because of this, coal is classed as a non-renewable resource because, although it does eventually renew itself, it takes millions of years to do so. In contrast, sunlight is a naturally occurring resource that replenishes itself every day as the planet moves around the sun, which makes solar power a renewable resource. In some cases, there may be a degree of nuance involved in deciding whether something is or isn’t a renewable energy resource. For example, wood is usually considered to be renewable as it is a form of biomass (organic matter that can be burned to create energy). However, cutting down trees has a big impact on the environment, and the burning of biomass results in the release of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. So, in order to be environmentally responsible and renewable, it’s important that any trees cut down for fuel are replaced by planting new ones to reabsorb the released carbon dioxide. How does renewable energy work? From the point of view of the electricity consumer – i.e. you at home or at your business – renewable energy doesn’t necessarily change a thing. You can still plug your devices and appliances into the mains and receive an electricity supply as you normally would, because renewable energy is fed into the national grid to be distributed to home and commercial properties across the UK. When it comes to gas, things are a little more complicated. Natural gas is considered a non-renewable resource, but that doesn’t mean using gas to heat your home or business can never be sustainable. A renewable alternative to natural gas is biomethane, a product of the breakdown of organic matter. Just like natural gas, it can be stored and distributed to suit demand, but it has less of an impact on climate change and global warming as it releases fewer greenhouse gases. Currently, biomass doesn’t account for a large proportion of the gas we use in our homes and businesses across the UK, but the government plans to change this in line with targets to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. You likely won’t have to change anything you do in order to take advantage of this renewable resource, as biomethane gas is usually injected into the gas grid. However, if you’re looking to cut down on natural gas usage in the meantime, there are ways you can do it. This could involve switching to electricity-based heating systems – if not fully then at least partially. Or, if your home or business has the infrastructure in place, you may be able to use bioenergy by burning organic fuels. Alternatively, if you’re looking to invest in renewable energy, then wind turbines and solar panels can be a great way to generate electricity and even sell what you don’t need back to the national grid. Renewable energy might seem complicated, but it’s just a case of identifying where we can get our energy from more sustainable sources in order to protect our environment and the planet for future generations. Whether you use mostly electricity or gas or a mixture of both, there are renewable options out there for you, and more being developed all the time.
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