There are many different types of renewable energy, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Many of the best plans involving putting them into practice include using the full portfolio of options, so people will be able to compensate for the strengths of some forms of renewable energy while being able to enjoy consistent coverage from all of them. Many forms of renewable energy provide plenty of resources, but the battery technology available today is not good enough to store all of it yet. Researchers are trying to get around this problem through the use of smart grid technology, keeping the energy in a network rather than storing it in a battery. The financial horizons are bright for renewable energy.
Wind Energy
Wind energy involves taking large wind turbines and allowing the wind to move them, converting the energy of the wind into electricity. Wind power has the advantage of being relatively simple to harness, and wind turbines are relatively easy to construct. Wind also occurs in all climates, even though the level of wind varies depending on the weather. Some people complain about the look and size of wind turbines, and it is difficult to completely meet the needs of a city through wind power alone. However, wind energy is a very real option in use today.
Solar Energy
Solar energy literally involves harnessing the power of the sun. Most solar energy is harnessed through photo-voltaic cells that covert sunlight itself into electricity. There is also thermal solar energy, where the heat of the sun is used to raise the temperature of water in plants that are able to convert the sun’s heat into energy that is usable in industrial processes. The technology used to capture solar energy is much more efficient than it used to be, even though the heat of the sun and the light of the sun varies. Some areas will have an abundance of solar energy and some won’t have enough. Either way, solar power has a great deal of potential.
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy involves using the heat of the earth’s interior as power. People don’t dig very deep for the sake of geothermal, but the heat levels are tremendous even before people dig deeply. Geothermal energy has the advantage of being seemingly unlimited in terms of its power. It does raise some concerns about safety, and energy storage is a problem with all renewable forms of energy. However, more and more countries are using geothermal energy today successfully.
Hydropower
Hydropower broadly involves using the natural movement of water as power. It could involve wave power specifically, with different hydropower plants being set up around the ocean shoreline. Some hydropower is generated through artificial hydro-electric plants that will allow people to generate power through water and basic mechanical processes. Some people complain about the use of hydropower plants on the shoreline, and there are plenty of initial expenses involved with setting up hydropower plants. However, this is one of the most stable forms of renewable energy.