What Is Renewable Energy?

Renewable Energy Advantages Vs Non Renewable Energy

 The simple answer to the question what is renewable energy is this. Renewable energy is energy that comes from a source that cannot be depleted. Non renewable energy that comes from fossil fuels like oil and coal are finite can only be used once. Renewable energy sources cannot be exhausted: they'll always be there and the same source can be used over and over again.

There are other renewable energy advantages vs non renewable energy. Renewable energy resources generally don't damage the planet or pollute the atmosphere. Solar energy and wind power are basically both "clean." So is hydropower, which comes from the movement of water. There are no appreciable by-products or waste that can endanger the environment.

For centuries, wind and water were the only energy sources - other than human or animal muscle - to do the work that was a part of everyday life. When electricity was discovered and made widely available, advances in using wind and water as energy sources slowed. But these sources, along with developments in solar energy systems, may now be the most important energy sources in our future.

There are even renewable energy advantages available to individual homeowners who don't wish to depend on utility companies for their electricity. Technology is available for creating electricity in individual homes using wind turbines and solar panels. There are even solar shingles available that integrate cleanly with home design so there's no longer a need to install large, aesthetically unpleasing solar panels on roofs or in yards.

Some homeowners actually generate more electricity than they need using wind and solar sources. They sell the excess electricity to local utilities. This helps defray the upfront expense of installing home renewable energy systems.

Another of the most important renewable energy advantages vs non nonrenewable energy has been highlighted recently by events following the massive earthquake in Japan. Even though nuclear energy has a good safety record through the decades, the nuclear "events" related to several danmaged nuclear energy reactors in Japan have raised concerns whether nuclear energy can ever be made completely safe. There's also the question of where to dispose of spent nuclear fuel. Many communities do not want a nuclear waste dump near them.

Renewable energy advantages become more apparent as oil prices fluctuate and events like those in Japan occur. It appears, with each passing day, that developing renewable energy resources will become increasingly important in filling our energy needs in the future.

Click on home renewable energy to read a related article.