Introduction to Green Energy

When asked “what do you think is the most used source of energy?”, what usually comes to your mind? Your answers will usually be oil, coal, or gas, and that’s actually correct! Oil accounts for approximately 39% of the global energy consumption, gaining the title of the world’s most used energy source. It is shortly followed by coal, which has also been one of the fastest growing fossil fuels because of China’s rapid industrialization coming at 28% worldwide, and Gas at 22%, which has been growing at an average rate of 2.4% in the last ten years.

What you might not know, on the other hand, is that apart from gas, these energy sources are not renewable. Non-renewable energy source means the energy comes from sources that will eventually run out or will not be replenished in our lifetime, examples of it are oil and coal. That being said, with the enormous use of oil right now, global shortage is to be expected by merely 10 years in the future. Same thing with coal, although it is still quite easy to find, a shortage will still need to be expected as it is a non-renewable energy.

With this information now known, it is crucial for us to find an alternative source of energy, which is renewable and infinite. This is when green energy comes to the picture. Green energy is a type of energy generated and collected from natural renewable resources, including carbon neutral sources such as sunlight, wind, rain, waves, and geothermal heat. Each of these technologies, however, works in different ways, either by taking power from the sun with solar panels, or using wind turbines, or even the flow of water to generate energy.

That being said, however, not all renewable sources of energy are green. In order to be deemed as “green energy”, a resource should not produce pollution. A simple example is a power generator that generates energy by burning organic material from sustainable forests. This source of energy might be renewable, but it isn’t necessarily green as it produces CO2 from the burning process. Green energy sources are usually naturally replenished, as opposed to oil or coal which takes millions of years to develop. Green sources also usually often avoid mining or drilling, which may damage the ecosystem.

Now let’s talk about its types. There are six most common forms of green energy, which are as follows:

1. Solar Power: The most common renewable green energy source. It is usually produced using photovoltaic cells to capture sunlight & turn it into electricity. It is mainly used to heat buildings & for hot water. It is now affordable enough to be used for domestic purposes such as garden lighting, but it is also used on a larger scale to power entire neighborhoods.

2. Wind Power: Usually used in areas with higher altitudes and situated offshore. Wind energy uses the power of the flow of air around the world to push turbines which will in return generate electricity.

3. Hydropower: Also known as “hydroelectric power”, which uses the flow of water in rivers, streams, or dams to produce energy. Similar to solar power, hydropower can be used for small-scale projects using the flow of water through pipes at home or to power big buildings such as multi-leveled spaces.

4. Geothermal Energy: Thermal energy that has been stored just under the earth’s crust which has been used for bathing in hot springs for years is now used for steam to power turbines and generate electricity. Obtaining the energy is a little harder than others as it involves a fully ‘green’ drilling procedure which needs to be monitored closely, however it is a huge resource once tapped into. into

5. Biomass: Wood waste, sawdust, and combustible organic agricultural waste are used to create energy and power up biomass power plants. This renewable resource, however, needs to be carefully managed in order to be truly labelled as a “green source” as it requires burning which may release greenhouse gas, it is however still so much lower than those from petroleum-based fuels.

6. Biofuel: An alternative to biomass is biofuel, where organic materials can be transformed into fuel such as ethanol and biodiesel. Biodiesel has now supplied about 2.7% of the world’s fuel transport and is estimated to have the capacity to meet over 25% of global transportation fuel demand by 2050.

Well, that’s all you need to know about green energy! More information regarding the topic will be posted in the upcoming articles. I hope you’re educated by the article and found it insightful!

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