Many people can dramatically reduce their carbon footprint by switching to clean and renewable sources of electricity. Green energy plays a significant role in the future of the coming generations due to its low environmental impacts. It is the perfect alternative for unrenewable energy sources as it acts against global warming by reducing carbon emissions and greenhouse gases. But you may be wondering what green energy is and how you can switch to it. Read on to find out more.
What is green energy?
Green energy refers to clean energy sources that are 100% renewable and do not pollute the environment. That means they are sustainable and save the environment to a great extend. Note that all renewable energy sources are clean, but not all clean energy sources are renewable.
Clean energy or green energy refers to the energy that produces no pollution or little pollution to the environment. Renewable energy is from natural resources such as the sun and the wind. Green energy includes nuclear energy and carbon neutralizing technologies like carbon capture and sequestration.
Nuclear energy is considered clean energy because it is decarbonized, so it doesn’t emit greenhouse gases. However, it is not renewable because its fuel which is uranium is a limited resource.
Common types of renewable energy
Solar energy
Solar energy provides one of the popular green energy technology we have today. It is renewable because it comes from sunlight. That means even if billions of households generated solar energy, it could never be depleted. It takes advantage of the sunlight in two primary technologies: the photovoltaic technology that converts sun rays into electricity via photovoltaic panels or plates and thermal solar energy used to heat fluids like domestic water heaters.
Wind energy
Wind energy depends on wind turbines to generate the strength of the wind and convert it into kinetic energy.
Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy takes advantage of the earth’s heat and transforms it into usable energy. It is not intermittent, which means that it does not depend on atmospheric conditions.
Hydraulic energy
Hydraulic energy converts the kinetic energy of water into electricity via hydroelectric plants. Like wind and solar energy, hydraulic energy is intermittent, which means it relies on the flow of water, streams, rivers, and rainfall. So the more water there is, the more electricity generation and vice versa.
Biomass
The heat released from the combustion of organic plants or the fermentation of animal waste is used to produce electricity and fuel. However, the process emits as much carbon as it consumes, so it’s considered renewable if its consumption is less than its generation.
Advantages of green energy
- It is clean energy.
- It is sustainable.
- No carbon emissions.
- It slows down climate change and other environmental changes.
- Provides energy independence.
- It is an inexhaustible energy source.
- It helps households and businesses save more on energy bills.
- It is affordable.
The bottom line
There are many benefits of green energy for today and future generations due to its positive impact on the environment. You can purchase green energy, generate it onsite, or use a combination of green energy sources for reliable power.
