What is Green Energy?
There has been a lot of research and development in the field of green energy in the last three decades. This has led to the development of hundreds of potential new technologies that could reduce our dependence on coal, oil and natural gas. But what is green energy and how much is it more environmentally friendly than fossil fuels?
Green energy
Green energy comes from natural sources such as wind, sunlight, rain, currents, vegetation, algae and geothermal heat. These sources of energy are renewable. That is, even if these sources are utilized, they are naturally replenished. In contrast, fossil fuels are a kind of limited resource. It takes millions of years to build and decreases rapidly with use.
These renewable energy sources have far less harmful effects on the environment than fossil fuels. The use of fossil fuels produces greenhouse gases, which are responsible for climate change. Fossil fuels usually require excavation or drilling deep into the ground. Where such work is done, the balance of the environment is disturbed.
On the other hand, different sources of green energy are easily available in different parts of the world. Even in rural areas where there is no electricity, green energy can be found.
Much progress is being made in the technology sector to increase the use of renewable energy. The cost of using solar panels, wind turbines and other sources of green energy is also coming down. As a result, people’s dependence on oil, gas, coal and utility companies is declining as electricity is being made available to the common man.
Green energy can be used instead of fossil fuels in everything from electricity to cooking, household appliances or motor vehicle fuel.
Types of green energy
Research on renewable and pollution-free energy sources is advancing so fast that it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep track of exactly how much green energy is currently being developed. Here are 7 types of green energy discussed:
1. Solar energy
The most common type of renewable energy is solar energy. Usually produced using photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaic cells collect sunlight and convert it into electricity. Solar energy can be used to heat the house during the winter and also for lighting or cooking. With the help of solar technology, it is becoming possible to electrify an area, starting from running small gadgets at a very low cost.
2. Wind power
Wind turbines can be used to produce energy through the use of wind currents on the earth’s surface. Strong winds produce more energy. Only strong winds are found in the highlands and coastal areas. The study found that after building a network of land-based 2.5 MW wind turbines in rural areas, if those turbines could operate at 20 per cent of their capacity, they could produce 40 times the energy currently used worldwide.
3. Hydropower
Hydroelectricity is generated from the energy of water circulating through the earth’s water cycle, such as evaporation, rainfall, tides, and dams. Hydropower projects require high rainfall to produce significant amounts of energy.
4. Geothermal energy or geothermal energy
Just below the Earth’s surface there is a lot of heat energy, which is generated from the radioactive decay of the planet’s core structure and minerals. For thousands of years, people have been using hot spring water as a result of geothermal energy. Now that underground heat is being used to generate electricity.
5. Biomass
Natural materials such as discarded wood, sawmill waste and combustible agricultural waste are called biomass. Compared to petroleum-based fuel sources, these biomass can produce energy by emitting much less greenhouse gases. Because these elements contain energy stored from the sun.
6. Biofuels
Instead of burning biomass or biomass for energy production, these renewable organic substances are sometimes converted into fuel. Notable examples are ethanol and biodiesel. By 2050, biofuels are expected to meet more than 25% percent of the world’s transportation needs.
