CLEAN ENERGY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

RENEWABLE ENERGY
Renewable energy is energy derived from natural sources that are replenished at a
higher rate than they are consumed. Sunlight and wind, for example, are such sources
that are constantly being replenished. Renewable energy sources are plentiful and all
around us.

Fossil fuels - coal, oil and gas - on the other hand, are non-renewable resources that
take hundreds of millions of years to form. Fossil fuels, when burned to produce energy,
cause harmful greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide.

Generating renewable energy creates far lower emissions than burning fossil fuels.
Transitioning from fossil fuels, which currently account for the lion’s share of emissions,
to renewable energy is key to addressing the climate crisis.

Renewables are now cheaper in most countries, and generate three times more jobs
than fossil fuels. Here are a few common sources of renewable energy:

SOLAR ENERGY
Solar energy is the most abundant of all
energy resources and can even be
harnessed in cloudy weather. The rate at
which solar energy is intercepted by the
Earth is about 10,000 times greater than
the rate at which humankind consumes
energy.

Solar technologies can deliver heat, cooling, natural lighting, electricity, and fuels for a
host of applications. Solar technologies convert sunlight into electrical energy either
through photovoltaic panels or through mirrors that concentrate solar radiation.

Although not all countries are equally endowed with solar energy, a significant
contribution to the energy mix from direct solar energy is possible for every country.

The cost of manufacturing solar panels has plummeted dramatically in the last decade,
making them not only affordable but often the cheapest form of electricity. Solar panels
have a lifespan of roughly 30 years, and come in variety of shades depending on the
type of material used in manufacturing.
WIND ENERGY
Wind energy harnesses the kinetic energy of
moving air by using large wind turbines
located on land (onshore) or in sea- or
freshwater (offshore). Wind energy has been
used for millennia, but onshore and offshore
wind energy technologies have evolved over
the last few years to maximize the electricity
produced - with taller turbines and larger rotor
diameters.

Though average wind speeds vary considerably by location, the world’s technical
potential for wind energy exceeds global electricity production, and ample potential exists
in most regions of the world to enable significant wind energy deployment.

Many parts of the world have strong wind speeds, but the best locations for generating
wind power are sometimes remote ones. Offshore wind power offers tremendous
potential.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
Geothermal energy utilizes the
accessible thermal energy from
the Earth’s interior. Heat is
extracted from geothermal
reservoirs using wells or other
means.

Reservoirs that are naturally

sufficiently hot and permeable are
called hydrothermal reservoirs,
whereas reservoirs that are
sufficiently hot but that are
improved with hydraulic stimulation are called enhanced geothermal systems.

Once at the surface, fluids of various temperatures can be used to generate electricity.
The technology for electricity generation from hydrothermal reservoirs is mature and
reliable, and has been operating for more than 100 years.
HYDROPOWER
Hydropower harnesses the energy of
water moving from higher to lower
elevations. It can be generated from
reservoirs and rivers. Reservoir
hydropower plants rely on stored
water in a reservoir, while run-of-river
hydropower plants harness energy
from the available flow of the river.

Hydropower reservoirs often have

multiple uses - providing drinking water, water for irrigation, flood and drought control,
navigation services, as well as energy supply.

Hydropower currently is the largest source of renewable energy in the electricity sector. It
relies on generally stable rainfall patterns, and can be negatively impacted by climate-
induced droughts or changes to ecosystems which impact rainfall patterns.

The infrastructure needed to create hydropower can also impact on ecosystems in

adverse ways. For this reason, many consider small-scale hydro a more
environmentally-friendly option, and especially suitable for communities in remote
locations.

OCEAN ENERGY
Ocean energy derives from
technologies that use the kinetic
and thermal energy of seawater -
waves or currents for instance - to
produce electricity or heat.

Ocean energy systems are still at

an early stage of development, with
a number of prototype wave and
tidal current devices being explored. The theoretical potential for ocean energy easily
exceeds present human energy requirements.
BIOENERGY
Bioenergy is
produced from a
variety of organic
materials, called
biomass, such as
wood, charcoal, dung
and other manures for
heat and power production, and agricultural crops for liquid biofuels. Most biomass is
used in rural areas for cooking, lighting and space heating, generally by poorer
populations in developing countries.

Modern biomass systems include dedicated crops or trees, residues from agriculture and
forestry, and various organic waste streams.

Energy created by burning biomass creates greenhouse gas emissions, but at lower
levels than burning fossil fuels like coal, oil or gas. However, bioenergy should only be
used in limited applications, given potential negative environmental impacts related to
large-scale increases in forest and bioenergy plantations, and resulting deforestation and
land-use change.

CLEAN ENERGY
Clean energy is energy that comes from renewable, zero emission sources
that do not pollute the atmosphere when used, as well as energy saved by
energy efficiency measures.

There is a degree of crossover between clean energy and green or renewable

energy sources, but they are not exactly the same. In order to understand the
difference it is worth understanding what it actually means.

What Does Clean Energy Mean?

Clean energy is energy gained from sources that do release air pollutants,
while green energy is energy derived from natural sources. There is a subtle
difference between these two energy types even though they are often spoken of as
being the same.

Renewable energy is power generated from sources that are constantly being
replenished. These renewable energy resources won’t run out, unlike fossil fuels and
gas, and include wind and solar energy.
However, while most green energy sources are renewable, not all renewable energy
sources are seen as being green. For example, hydropower is a renewable
resource, but some would argue that it is not green, since the deforestation and
industrialisation related to the building of hydro dams can damage the environment.

The perfect clean energy mix occurs where green energy meets renewable energy,
such as with solar energy and wind energy.

An easy way to remember the differences between these different energy types is:

 Clean energy = clean air

 Green energy = natural sources
 Renewable energy = recyclable sources

How Does it Work?

Clean energy works by producing power without having negative environmental
impacts, such as the release of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. A lot of clean
energy is also renewable, including wind power, some hydro resources and solar
powered energy generation.

Why is it Important?
The most important aspect of clean energy are the environmental benefits as part of
a global energy future. While clean, renewable resources also preserve the world’s
natural resources, they also reduce the risk of environmental disasters, such as fuel
spills or the problems associated with natural gas leaks. With fuel diversification,
through different power plants using different energy sources, it is possible to create
reliable power supplies to enhance energy security, ensuring there is enough to
meet our demands.
Benefits
Clean energy provides a variety of environmental and economic benefits, including a
reduction in air pollution. A diverse clean energy supply also reduces the
dependence on imported fuels (and the associated financial and environmental costs
this incurs).

Renewable clean energy also has inherent cost savings, as there is no need to
extract and transport fuels, such as with oil or coal, as the resources replenish
themselves naturally.

Other industrial benefits of a clean energy mix is the creation of jobs to develop,
manufacture and install the clean energy resources of the future.

How Can Clean Energy Be Used?

Clean energy can be used for a variety of different applications, from electricity
generation to heating water and more, depending on the source of the energy.

Solar energy can be used for heating and lighting buildings, generating electricity,
heating water directly, cooling and more. Solar panels allow for energy from the sun
to be collected and turned into electricity. Solar panels are frequently used for small
electric tasks, such as charging batteries, while many people already use solar
energy for small garden lanterns. However, this same clean energy technology can
be scaled up to larger panels that are used to provide power for homes or other
buildings or even installations of multiple solar panels, such as with a community
solar panel array to power entire towns.

Water is another clean resource with some surprising applications. Most obvious are
hydroelectric power plants, which take the flow of water from rivers, streams or lakes
to create electricity. A less obvious use of water comes through municipal pipes in
towns and cities. With lots of water running through pipes in homes each day, there
is a move towards harnessing this energy to help meet domestic and other power
needs. As generators become smaller and less expensive to build this use of
municipal water is becoming closer to being a daily reality.

Wind power works by attaching a windmill to a generator which turns the turning of
the windmill blades into power. This form of energy has been used for centuries to
grind grain, pump water or perform other mechanical tasks, but is now being used
more often to produce electricity. Onshore and offshore windfarms are becoming
increasingly prevalent, but wind power can also be used on a much smaller scale to
produce electricity, even to provide a source of power for recharging mobile
telephones.
These examples of renewable sources can be added to by others, such
as geothermal, biomass and tidal power, which also all have their own benefits and
applications.

The Future of Clean Energy

The future of clean energy looks bright, with recent years showing that more
renewable energy capacity has been installed globally than new fossil fuel and
nuclear capacity combined. Renewable sources now make up over one-third of
globally installed power capacity. As an example of this growth, Wednesday 10 June
2020 marked two months of the UK being powered purely by renewable energy for
the first time ever.

As the world population continues to grow, there is an ever-increasing demand for

energy and renewable sources are the answer to providing sustainable energy
solutions, while also protecting the planet from climate change.

The take-up of clean energy is not just happening on a national level as cities and
states are also crating policies to increase renewable energy use. In the United
States, 29 states have set renewable energy portfolios to mandate that a certain
percentage of energy consumed should come from renewable sources and over 100
cities around the world now use at least 70% renewable energy. As more cities drive
towards becoming 100% renewable, corporations are also playing a part by
purchasing record levels of renewable power.

Of course, due to fossil fuels being a finite resource, it makes sense that the future is
renewable and so it is expected that renewable sources will continue to increase in
number, driving down the cost too.

How Can Clean Energy Reduce Global Warming?

Humans have been using fossil fuels for over 150 years and, as their use increased,
so did the release of the greenhouse gases that are produced when these fuels are
burned. These greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere causing the
temperature of the Earth to rise. This global warming is one symptom of climate
change that has seen a rise in extreme weather events, shifting wildlife habitats and
populations, rising sea levels and other impacts.

Because renewable energy sources don’t emit greenhouse gases such as carbon
dioxide, they do not contribute to global warming. These renewable sources mean
that climate change is not being advanced, while measures such as reforestation
can help to alleviate the damage already done to the climate, combining to reduce
global warming.
Can Clean Energy Replace Fossil Fuels?
As mentioned above, humans have been using fossil fuels for decades, meaning
that the switch to clean energy has been relatively recent. As a result, renewable
energy sources are still seen as being unpredictable and do not yet meet our global
power demands. This means that renewable energy is still being topped up with
carbon-based energy sources.

However, it is believed that our energy needs can be balanced by the efficient
storing of renewable energy so it can be used when the demand is present. A great
deal of work is being done to improve the infrastructure and storage capabilities of
clean energy, with experts saying that clean renewable energy could replace fossil
fuels by 2050.

How Will Clean Energy Help Our Economy?

There are financial benefits related to clean energy, not least due to the creation of
work to improve the infrastructure, manufacture clean energy solutions and install
and maintain them. Renewable and clean energy are growth sectors as the world
begins to move away from fossil fuels, meaning that more opportunities will arise in
areas ranging from eMobility to power generation and storage.

The expertise that comes with developing these next generation power solutions can
be of benefit of those that attain it, offering work and contracts to those who are slow
to take up clean energy.

Of course, the financial implications of clean energy are just part of the story, since
the real incentive behind clean energy is creating a better future for the planet. But,
as fossil fuel use declines, so will the associated financial rewards, meaning that
clean energy is not just good for the environment but it is a forward step for industry
too.
How Can We Get Clean Energy?
Clean energy can be obtained from a variety of sources which, when put together,
could create solutions for all of our energy needs.

 Sunlight is the most abundant and freely available energy resource on the
planet, in fact the amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth in one hour is
enough to meet the total energy requirements for the planet for an entire year.
Of course, solar power is limited by the time of day, the seasons of the year
and geographical location. Despite this, solar energy is being used on both a
large and a domestic level already.
 Wind power is another plentiful source of clean energy, with wind farms
providing a good contribution to power in the UK and elsewhere. As of yet,
while domestic ‘off grid’ wind energy is available, not every property is suitable
for a wind turbine.
 Hydro or water power is one of the most commercially developed sources of
clean energy. This energy source is seen as more reliable than either wind or
solar power and also allows for the easy storage of the energy that is
generated so it can be used in line with demand. Municipal hydro power is
also being investigated, meaning that the future could see us all using the flow
of water through pipes in our homes to generate electricity. Tidal power is a
large scale version of hydro power and, although it doesn’t provide a constant
supply of energy, it is highly predictable and reliable.
 Geothermal power, which harnesses the natural heat below the Earth’s
surface. Used to heat homes or generate electricity, this resource is more
effective in some regions than others. Iceland, for example, has a plentiful and
easily reachable geothermal resource, while geothermal heat in the UK, by
comparison, is far less freely available.
 Hydrogen is a clean fuel that, when consumed in a fuel cell, produces only
water. Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of domestic resources, such
as natural gas, nuclear power, biomass, and renewable power like solar and
wind. These qualities make it an attractive fuel option for transportation and
electricity generation applications. It can be used in cars, in houses, for
portable power, and in many more applications. Today, hydrogen fuel can be
produced through several methods. The most common methods today are
natural gas reforming (a thermal process), and electrolysis. Other methods
include solar-driven and biological processes.
 Nuclear fusion technology is a less evolved but more promising pathway to
clean energy than nuclear fission. Fission is a reaction in which the nucleus of
an atom splits into smaller nuclei in such a way that a large amount of energy
is released. This happens when heavy elements like uranium and plutonium
split. In an opposite way, fusion is a reaction in which two or more atomic
nuclei are combined in such a way that there is a release of energy.
 Biomass uses solid fuel created from plant materials to produce electricity.
Although this energy source still requires the burning of organic materials, this
is not wood and is now much cleaner and energy efficient than in the past.
Using agricultural, industrial and domestic waste as solid, liquid and gas fuel
is not only economical but also has environmental benefits too.
Is Clean Energy Really Clean?
All clean energy sources are, by definition ‘clean,’ however not all renewable energy
sources are clean. For example, burning wood from sustainably managed forests
can be renewable, but it is not clean since this releases carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere.

To be truly clean the carbon cost of production and storage needs to be zero, and
this is where sources such as solar power and wind energy are seen as being truly
clean and renewable.

Conclusion / Summary
Clean energy appears to be the future for the power needs of humanity across the
globe as reliance of fossil fuels continues to diminish. As the drive towards clean,
green and renewable energy continues to advance, the cost will fall and work will be
created to develop and install these new power solutions.

More and more people are recognising the environmental, societal and economic
benefits of clean energy and, as more cities, states and nations sign up to a green
power agenda, this will continue to advance.

BENEFITS OF LED LIGHTING – A step towards cleaner energy

Longer Life: The major benefit of LED bulbs is that they last significantly longer than
the old incandescent bulbs. They have great thermal management properties and a
well manufactured bulb should last around 50,000 hours compared to an
incandescent bulb that cold last 1,500 hours. This major difference presents a real
cost saving for those who switch to LED lighting and is even better than CFL bulbs.

Safer Technology: LED bulbs are entirely safe and they also do not give out high
temperatures when lit and are therefore easier to handle than a hot bulb.

Eco-Friendly: LED lighting uses less energy and so you are cutting down the CO2
emissions that come with electricity production. They also don’t contain any harmful
metals such as lead or mercury and the manufacturing process is a lot cleaner than
with other bulbs.

Less Power: LED bulbs use less power than any other makes. LED offers a 90%
saving over the old fashioned incandescent bulbs.