Renewable sources of energy and green energy solutions promise a lot to the future of resources on our planet. There is a possibility for us to reduce the needs for energy by as much as one third by the year 2050, if companies and individuals switch to green or renewable sources of energy. So here, I provided the examples of renewable energy sources that the EU should be utilizing on a larger scale to save the planet.
· Solar power
Sun will continue shining for billions more years without the help of human. Thus, it should be utilized as a green source of energy. Solar cells or panels take the sunlight and use it to convert it into the power, energy. There are also solar thermal systems, which basically use the heat from the sun to heat the water in our houses. The technology for utilizing the sun’s energy is developed well enough: there are solar panels, collectors and sheeting. You just turn sunlight into electricity. No pollution involved.
· Wind power
Have you ever seen a windmill? If yes, there is no need to explain what wind power is. Wind blows. It drives turbines. Turbines generate electricity. The process does not involve pollution, and it is cheap, compared to the other types of renewable energy sources. The only problem is that some people might not like how windmills look. Well, the Netherlands can give some advice on that.
· Biomass
Biomass is the plant and animal waste used to create electricity. It is gross, but it is working. Biomass can be obtained from plants, or from waste in your house or in your business. It gives very little pollution and is considered a low-carbon energy source. It is still expensive, because it has not been explored as much as solar or wind energy.
· Anaerobic digestion
Anaerobic digestion suggests the use of microorganisms that will be destroying organic material without oxygen to produce biogas, which includes sufficient quantities of methane and carbon dioxide to be burnt into energy. There are no harmful effects from this energy production method, as it looks like at the moment. Also, whatever remains after the digestion process is over, can be used as fertilizer for crops.
· Hydroelectric power
Explaining this process will be similar to the wind power. Water creates waves. Waves move turbines. Turbines generate electricity. The force of the water in this case is converted into power. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, about 20% of world’s energy is generated using hydroelectricity. The rivers have to be dammed in order to use the power, and this is not so good for the living creatures in the habitat.
· Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy implies usage of steam and water evaporated by the earth, in order to run power stations. The evaporated steam is used to generate electricity. Not all the countries around the world have the opportunity to use geothermal energy for generating electricity, because the location has to be geothermally active to produce good results. The plants of such kind are also expensive to build and operate, which, again, limits the number of countries able to use them.
· Combined heat and power
Combined heat and power is the process when heat and power are generated at the same time. During the operation of a regular power plant, there is a lot of heat wasted in the process. This heat is not wasted in the combined plant, but rather used to deliver heat to homes. This makes the plants more than 90% more efficient than the regular plants and allows to save resources that otherwise would have been wasted.