Renewable energy is the future of energy production. We are running out of fossil fuels, coal etc. and hence we need to look for renewable energy sources that are non-exhaustible. These sources hardly release any emissions to the environment and they are the most eco-friendly energy sources possible. So here are some of such energy sources for you.
Photovoltaic or Thermal Solar Energy
We call solar energy, the energy that we can get from the sun’s radiation. A distinction must be made between photovoltaic and thermal solar energy. Photovoltaic energy corresponds to the electricity produced by so-called photovoltaic cells. These cells receive sunlight and can transform part of it into electricity. One of their advantages is modularity. Indeed, photovoltaic panels can be used both for domestic purposes and for large-scale energy production.
In a thermal or thermodynamic solar energy system, solar radiation is used to heat a fluid. Water, for example, as in some domestic water heaters. When a concentration system – a set of mirrors – is added to it, the Sun can heat the fluid to around 1,000 ° C and the technology becomes exploitable. The downside of this energy is that it cannot be exploited until the sun is shining. Installing the best solar panels Brisbane will save you immense energy costs for a long time.
The Wind Energy
The ancestors of wind turbines are windmills. Wind turbines produce energy, when coupled to a generator – from the movement of air masses. They harness the kinetic energy of the wind. Wind turbines can be installed on land. We then speak of onshore wind turbines.
These are technically the simplest to imagine. And the most effective could be wind turbines installed at sea that are called offshore wind turbines. However, wind turbines only produce when the wind is blowing. This technology is rather reserved for large installations as it is quite difficult to install a windmill in your garden.
Hydraulic Power Thanks to Sea Currents
The term hydraulic energy designates the energy which can be obtained by the exploitation of water. A category of energy less subject to weather conditions, but which remains reserved for large-scale production.
In hydraulic energy, we find: dams that release large amounts of water onto turbines to generate electricity, tidal energy which plays on the potential energy of the tides, an energy linked to the differences in water levels and the currents which they induce, the tidal energy which exploits the sea currents, wave energy which relies on the kinetic energy of waves and swells.
Biomass Energy from Organic Matter
Biomass can become a source of heat, electricity or fuel. Several techniques can be implemented to get its energy: combustion, gasification, pyrolysis or methanization for example. Biomass energy can be produced locally. However, care must be taken in certain cases to ensure that it does not compete with the food chain. Biomass energy includes the ancestral source that is wood. It can produce heat, electricity or biofuels; hydrolysis of cellulose into glucose then fermentation into ethanol.
