What is renewable energy?
Abdullah Shoaib Managing Director 4 min read Last Updated December 05, 2024 Abdullah Shoaib Managing Director 4 min read Last Updated December 05, 2024 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. Find The Best Deals Content What is renewable energy? What is a renewable energy source? How does renewable energy work? 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
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