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In this article we'll discuss the top 10 countries using solar energy today
1-China
China is leading the world in solar PV generation, with the total installed capacity more than 100 GW. China is the world's largest market for both solar thermal energy and photovoltaics . and in the last years more than half of the total PV additions came from China.
2-Japan
Solar power in this country has been expanding since the late 1990s. By the end of 2017, cumulative installed PV capacity reached over 50 GW with around 8 GW installed in the year 2017. This country is a leading manufacturer of solar panels and is in the top 4 ranking for countries with the most solar PV installed.
3-Germany
Germany is among the top 4 ranking countries which install photovoltaic solar capacity and number one regarding per capita installation of PV. The overall capacity has reached 42.98 GW by the end of 2017
4-USA
the United States had over 50 GW of installed photovoltaic capacity. In the twelve months through May 2018. Installations have been growing rapidly in recent years as costs have declined with the united states. hitting over 50 GW of installed solar photovoltaic capacity at the end of 2017.
5-Italy
Italy added around 400 MW of solar PV capacity in the year 2017 reaching a total installed PV capacity of around 19.7 GW.
6-UK
At the end of 2011, there were 230,000 solar power projects in UK.

with a total installed generating capacity of 750 mega watt (MW).

Solar power use has increased very rapidly in the last few years in UK.
7-India
In the year 2017 alone India added a record around 9 MW of solar power with another 9,627 MW of solar projects under development

India launched its National Solar Mission in 2010 under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, with plans to generate 20 gigawatt(GW) by 2022.
8-France
Solar power in France including overseas territories reached an installed capacity figure of around 7 MW by year end 2016 .
9-Australia
Australia had over 10 megawatts (MW) of installed photovoltaic (PV) solar power by September 2018.

The largest solar power station in Australia is the 220 megawatts (MW ) Bungala solar plant.
10-Spain
Spain was an early adopter in the development of solar energy industry since it is one of the countries of Europe with more hours of sunshine.

Total solar power in Spain reached around 7 GW by the end of 2016 including both installed PV and CSP.

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Top 10 countries using solar energy - Renewable Energy

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In this article we'll discuss the top 10 countries using solar energy today 1-China China is leading the world in solar PV generation, with the total installed capacity more than 100 GW. China is the world's largest market for both solar thermal energy and photovoltaics .

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Environmental and economic benefits of using renewable energy include:

Generating energy that produces no greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and reduces some types of air pollution

Diversifying energy supply and reducing dependence on imported fuels

Creating economic development and jobs in manufacturing, installation, and more

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Questions and Answers

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Bioenergy currently meets about 10% of human energy needs around the world.

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Geothermal heating is used to heat 87% of homes in Iceland.

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Hydropower's advantage over other renewable energy sources is the fact that average rainfall is highly predictable and therefore output is reliable and river flow doesn't fluctuate from minute to minute like is the case with wind energy.

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Solar panel costs have fallen 99% since 1977. In 1977, it cost $77 per watt for a simple solar cell. According to Solar Energy Industries Association and GTM Research's Q3 2017 Solar Market Insight Report, the cost of a solar cell now is $0.21 per watt. An entire assembled module is $0.39 per watt.

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Just 1 wind turbine can generate enough electricity to power 1,400 homes.

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watch this for convincing people

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Tesla's Solar Roof Is Cheaper Than Expected

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Concord committee aims to balance renewable energy goals with practicality

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Concord committee aims to balance renewable energy goals with practicality

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A city committee aims to put Concord on course to operate totally on renewable energy by 2050, but is that soon enough, one woman asked at the first public input session for the plan held this week.

Concord Energy and Environment Committee member Chuck Willing said the timeline was set to balance the urgency of climate change as well as recognizing that it will take time for the entire community to gradually shift its habits of energy consumption.

"The latest word from the climate experts is that to avoid the worst effects of climate change we're going to have to decarbonize our economies by mid-century," Willing said. "It's a pretty tall order ... but the good news is that renewable energy costs are coming down."

the first draft of its plan in March to ease the city into using renewable energy sources for municipal operations as well as the entire Concord community.

The draft of Concord's renewable energy plan calls for the city to gradually use more and more green energy sources for municipal operations as well as the entire Concord community.

The plan, expected to be presented to the city council this summer, calls for the city to use electricity generated only from renewable sources by 2030. It then sets goals to use renewable sources for thermal energy and transportation by 2050.

Willing said the city's use of electricity should come from solar and wind energy in the future as prices drop.

The cost of solar energy has dropped by about 80 percent in the last 10 years, Willing said, citing an energy cost analysis by Lazard, a financial advisory and asset management firm in New York. The study reported the average cost of solar energy in 2018 was $43 per megawatt hour, down from $359 in 2009.

The cost of wind energy has also come down in that span of time, dropping by about 69% to $42 per megawatt hour in 2018, according to the study.

The plan also calls for the city to use hybrid and electric vehicles in its fleet, including public works trucks and emergency vehicles. This could be done through a purchasing plan to convert the fleet over time, which would be up to the city council, said Kelsey Sullivan, a committee volunteer.

Another aspect of the plan's transportation angle, Sullivan said, is to encourage more people to use public transportation, walk or ride a bicycle to simply cut down on the total number of miles being driven in the city.

The city joined more than 70 other towns and cities in the U.S., as well as a handful of states, when the city council voted last summer to adopt a resolution setting the goal for the city to operate on 100% renewable energy by 2050.

That number has now grown to more than 100. Earlier this week, New Mexico became the third state after California and Hawaii to implement a 100% renewable energy pledge.

Originally, the resolution in Concord referred to the renewable energy goal as a "policy," but the language was changed before the vote to emphasize that "this goal is aspirational in nature and shall not be construed to either impose any mandate on the City or its residents and businesses," the resolution reads.

With or without a mandate, members of the public who spoke Wednesday hoped more residents and business leaders in Concord engage with the plan and recognize the urgency of climate change.

"We have to do this; this is not a choice anymore," said Helmut Koch, a longtime Concord resident and former business owner. "The city is being proactive, as they should be. This is the right initiative at the right time. If we don't do it now, we'll be playing catch-up."

Wednesday's meeting was the first of three public input sessions of the plan. The second is May 4 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Penacook Community Center, 76 Community Drive. The final session is May 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the City Council Chambers, 37 Green St., in Concord.

The first draft of the plan can be found on the city's website at concordnh.gov.

(Nick Stoico can be reached at 369-3321, nstoico@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @NickStoico.)

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Concord committee aims to balance renewable energy goals with practicality

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A city committee aims to put Concord on course to operate totally on renewable energy by 2050, but is that soon enough, one woman asked at the first public input session for the plan held this week.Concord Energy and Environment Committee member Chuck...

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ELOISE FUSS, REPORTING: They're taller than a 20 story building, with blades, heaps longer than a bus. They're wind turbines, and these ones happen to sit pretty close to this school.

Rapid Bay Primary School is here, in South Australia. And just here, is the Starfish Hill Wind Farm.

ANIKA: There are about 23 wind turbines there, and they generate electricity.

NICHOLAS: Not many schools would have wind turbines nearby so it's pretty rare to have.

The wind farm helps fund this school, and for these kids, use it as a chance to learn more about wind energy.

BRUCE: I made a wind turbine out of cardboard tubing and some Lego.

ANGUS: We have a poster tube, covered that with paper and we have a drink bottle lid and some cut out pieces of cardboard.

They also know exactly how wind turbines work.

ANGUS: The wind comes in from the front to make it turn, it goes into the generator and then gets sent down through to the power station. It works opposite to a fan, so it creates energy instead of using energy to make it spin.

But what happens if the wind isn't blowing?

Angus: Well when there's no wind, you're out of luck!

Over the past few years, wind farms have popped up in many places across the country. They only work in places that are windy enough. But there's now about 70 farms nation-wide, with close to 1700 wind turbines on them. All up, they produce enough energy to power 1.3 million homes. They'll never provide power all day, every day, but they are pretty effective in the right conditions.

But whether we'll see many more wind farms, has been a hot topic of discussion lately. Because some politicians, like the Prime Minister, have said they really don't like them.

PRIME MINISTER, TONY ABBOTT: Up close they're ugly. They're noisy.

The kids from Rapid Bay primary say they've heard similar things.

NICHOLAS: Some people don't like wind farms because they look ugly and not natural for the environment.

ANGUS: Some people don't like them because they're noisy and when you're living near them they can be a bit annoying.

But, they've also heard people say they have different opinions too.

NICHOLAS: Some people think the opposite, like they look good and they're good for the environment, because instead of burning coal you're just harnessing the power of the wind.

BRUCE: I reckon they're good for the environment because they make lots of energy and it's not like coal which can make massive black clouds.

NICHOLAS: To me they remind me of helicopters.

By 2020, the Government has promised that 20% of Australia's energy will come from clean or renewable energy, that's things like solar and wind power, which can never run out.

NICHOLAS: I think we'll see more in the future when people start realising that they're a good thing for the environment.

So that's how these kids feel about wind farms. But what about you? Let us know on our website.

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Now to wind farms which were a hot topic of conversation last week after the Prime Minister said they "make a lot of noise" and are "visually awful". He also suggested that he wished there were fewer of them in Australia. But how many are there and how do they actually work?

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How the Renewable Energy Industry Has Evolved | SuperGreen Solutions Franchise

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How the Renewable Energy Industry Has Evolved | SuperGreen Solutions Franchise

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Renewable energy from wind, solar, hydropower, and biomass sources has dramatically improved over the last decade. These renewable energy sources are spreading to more countries and constituting a larger proportion of those countries' energy profiles.

On a practical level, consumers and businesses alike are increasingly using things like LED lighting in lieu of less-efficient incandescent bulbs.

On the heating and cooling front, renewable energy sources like geothermal, solar, and even biomass has expanded with innovations like solar water heaters and industrial space heating.

The rise of solar hasn't been limited to at-home heating, though. Solar panels are being installed on homes, especially in Southwest states like New Mexico, at a record pace.

This is saving homeowners and property managers big bucks and even allowing them to sell back excess electricity to the grid in exchange for usable credits.

The Perception of Renewable Energy Is Changing Rapidly

The perception of what renewable energy sources can do has changed (and improved) rapidly over the past decade.

Looking at the transportation sector, who would have thought that biodiesel and ethanol could grow so much over the past decade?

The Surprising Power of Lithium-Ion Batteries

For that matter, who 10 years ago would have thought that Elon Musk and his company Tesla would create some of the most impressive cars ever tested by Car and Driver and Consumer Reports?

The Model S and more recent Model X are all-electric vehicles that have made a huge splash in the industry and drastically changed the perception of all-electric vehicles.

All of the power of the Tesla Model S and Model X lineups-and that's a lot of power because both the Model S and Mode X top out at 532 horsepower and zip from 0 to 60 MPH in well under 4 seconds-is generated by lithium-ion batteries.

Today, there are plans to start using lithium-ion battery technology to meet peoples' general electricity needs thanks to storage units and Tesla's massive, recently constructed Gigafactory right outside Reno, Nevada.

Wind Power Is Becoming a Major Player

On the wind energy front, countries like Denmark have drastically changed the perception of what wind power as an alternative fuel source can accomplish.

It's not surprising that Denmark has made the most strides over the last 10 years in wind energy. In the 1970s, Denmark installed the first large-scale wind turbine system, and the country set its expectations high for the generations to come by aiming to get 100% of its energy from renewables by 2050.

Denmark is well on its way to achieving that goal since in 2014 Denmark met nearly two-fifths of its total electricity needs via wind power.

In the same way that solar and lithium-ion are now being utilized to meet our daily electricity needs, renewable wind energy is carving out a place for itself as an energy juggernaut.

Renewables Have Created Energy Independence and Energy Security

Better and more affordable renewable energy technologies over the last decade have resulted in more energy independence for entire countries and more eco-friendly products for consumers.

A shift to renewable energy has also likely slowed the harmful effects of climate change by reducing carbon emissions.

All the while, renewables have created millions of new jobs for the global economy, more energy security for individual countries, and more options for consumers worldwide.

Are you ready to make the shift toward a renewable energy franchise? Then contact us today to find out how you can become a franchisee of SuperGreen Solutions!

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How the Renewable Energy Industry Has Evolved | SuperGreen Solutions Franchise

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Renewable energy from wind, solar, hydropower, and biomass sources has dramatically improved over the last decade. These renewable energy sources are spreading to more countries and constituting a larger proportion of those countries' energy profiles. On a practical level, consumers and businesses alike are increasingly using things like LED lighting in lieu of less-efficient incandescent bulbs.

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Renewable energies generate from natural sources that can be replaced over a relatively short time scale. Examples of renewable energies include solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and biomass. Nonrenewable energies come from resources that are not replaced or are replaced only very slowly by natural processes. The primary sources for nonrenewable energies in the world are fossil fuels -- coal, gas and oil. Nuclear energy is also considered nonrenewable because there is a limited supply of uranium in the Earth's crust. When planning the energy profile for various communities, the advantages and disadvantages of renewable vs. nonrenewable energies need to be considered.

Because renewable energies are not burned like fossil fuels, they do not release pollutants into the atmosphere and provide a cleaner, healthier environment. Sources of renewable energy are found everywhere in the world and cannot be depleted. Costs for tapping renewable energies are decreasing as the technology advances and, once established, maintenance costs are generally low. Because trained technicians are needed to maintain the equipment, some renewable energy plants have the potential to generate more jobs than highly mechanized fossil fuel plants. Most importantly, there are little or no greenhouse gas emissions associated with renewable energies that are contributing to driving up the planet's temperature.

Initial costs for setting up renewable energy plants are often quite high and require careful planning and implementation. Building dams, for example, for hydroelectric power requires high initial capital and high maintenance expenses. Renewable energies like solar and wind require large tracts of land to produce energy quantities competitive with fossil fuel burning. Renewable sources of energy are also affected by weather, reducing their reliability. For example, wind turbines only rotate it there is enough wind at a given speed and solar panels do not operate at night time and are less efficient on cloudy days.

Fossil fuels are the world's traditional energy sources and electrical power plants, vehicles and various industrial plants are built around using them. Many nonrenewable energies are more reliable than most renewables and are not subject to weather conditions. They provide continuous --not intermittent, weather-dependent -- energy. New technologies, such as carbon, capture and storage (CCS) are emerging that may allow fossil fuel use with less harmful effects to the environment This process captures carbon dioxide (CO2) from electrical and industrial plants and stores it underground instead of releasing it to the atmosphere. The U.S. Department of Energy currently has several CCS projects in place to determine the long-term feasibility of this technology.

Fossil fuels are in a limited supply and will one day be depleted. Processes for extracting and transporting fossil fuels have caused widespread environmental damage from strip mining and accidental oil spills. Most importantly, burning fossil fuels releases harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, primarily CO2. Incorporating CCS technologies into existing fossil fuel plants to prevent CO2 emissions is extremely costly. Nuclear power plants do not release C02, but pose other risks such as potential radiation leaks and waste storage problems. The costs for building new nuclear power plants have risen sharply making them less economical than other types of power.

Governments worldwide are recognizing that burning fossil fuels is changing the Earth's climate, increasing global average temperatures, causing unprecedented melting of polar sea ice and raising sea levels. Given these climate-change threats, renewable energies appear to be the wave of the future. Many countries, including the United States, have programs for limiting CO2 emissions and supporting renewable energy development. Renewable energy R & D is helping to lower costs and increase efficiency. In the future, there will likely not be a single solution to a community's energy needs but a combination of technologies. Communities will need to identity the energy resources in their area and develop sustainable energy plans.

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Renewable Vs. Nonrenewable Energy Resources

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Renewable energies generate from natural sources that can be replaced over a relatively short time scale. Examples of renewable energies include solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and biomass. Nonrenewable energies come from resources that are not replaced or are replaced only slowly.

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Benefits of Renewable Energy Use | Union of Concerned Scientists

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Benefits of Renewable Energy Use | Union of Concerned Scientists

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Wind turbines and solar panels are an increasingly common sight. But why? What are the benefits of renewable energies-and how do they improve our health, environment, and economy?

This page explores the many positive impacts of clean energy, including the benefits of wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and biomass. For more information on their negative impacts-including effective solutions to avoid, minimize, or mitigate-see our page on The Environmental Impacts of Renewable Energy Technologies.

Less global warming

Human activity is overloading our atmosphere with carbon dioxide and other global warming emissions. These gases act like a blanket, trapping heat. The result is a web of significant and harmful impacts, from stronger, more frequent storms, to drought, sea level rise, and extinction.

In the United States, about 29 percent of global warming emissions come from our electricity sector. Most of those emissions come from fossil fuels like coal and natural gas [ 1, 2].

What is CO2e?

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most prevalent greenhouse gas, but other air pollutants-such as methane-also cause global warming. Different energy sources produce different amounts of these pollutants. To make comparisons easier, we use a carbon dioxide equivalent, or CO2e-the amount of carbon dioxide required to produce an equivalent amount of warming.

In contrast, most renewable energy sources produce little to no global warming emissions. Even when including "life cycle" emissions of clean energy (ie, the emissions from each stage of a technology's life-manufacturing, installation, operation, decommissioning), the global warming emissions associated with renewable energy are minimal [ 3].

The comparison becomes clear when you look at the numbers. Burning natural gas for electricity releases between 0.6 and 2 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour (CO2E/kWh); coal emits between 1.4 and 3.6 pounds of CO2E/kWh. Wind, on the other hand, is responsible for only 0.02 to 0.04 pounds of CO2E/kWh on a life-cycle basis; solar 0.07 to 0.2; geothermal 0.1 to 0.2; and hydroelectric between 0.1 and 0.5.

Renewable electricity generation from biomass can have a wide range of global warming emissions depending on the resource and whether or not it is sustainably sourced and harvested.

Increasing the supply of renewable energy would allow us to replace carbon-intensive energy sources and significantly reduce US global warming emissions.

For example, a 2009 UCS analysis found that a 25 percent by 2025 national renewable electricity standard would lower power plant CO2 emissions 277 million metric tons annually by 2025-the equivalent of the annual output from 70 typical (600 MW) new coal plants [ 4].

In addition, a ground-breaking study by the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) explored the feasibility of generating 80 percent of the country's electricity from renewable sources by 2050. They found that renewable energy could help reduce the electricity sector's emissions by approximately 81 percent [ 5].

Improved public health

The air and water pollution emitted by coal and natural gas plants is linked with breathing problems, neurological damage, heart attacks, cancer, premature death, and a host of other serious problems. The pollution affects everyone: one Harvard University study estimated the life cycle costs and public health effects of coal to be an estimated $74.6 billion every year. That's equivalent to 4.36 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity produced-about one-third of the average electricity rate for a typical US home [ 6].

Most of these negative health impacts come from air and water pollution that clean energy technologies simply don't produce. Wind, solar, and hydroelectric systems generate electricity with no associated air pollution emissions. Geothermal and biomass systems emit some air pollutants, though total air emissions are generally much lower than those of coal- and natural gas-fired power plants.

In addition, wind and solar energy require essentially no water to operate and thus do not pollute water resources or strain supplies by competing with agriculture, drinking water, or other important water needs. In contrast, fossil fuels can have a significant impact on water resources: both coal mining and natural gas drilling can pollute sources of drinking water, and all thermal power plants, including those powered by coal, gas, and oil, withdraw and consume water for cooling.

Biomass and geothermal power plants, like coal- and natural gas-fired power plants, may require water for cooling. Hydroelectric power plants can disrupt river ecosystems both upstream and downstream from the dam. However, NREL's 80-percent-by-2050 renewable energy study, which included biomass and geothermal, found that total water consumption and withdrawal would decrease significantly in a future with high renewables [ 7].

Inexhaustible energy

Strong winds, sunny skies, abundant plant matter, heat from the earth, and fast-moving water can each provide a vast and constantly replenished supply of energy. A relatively small fraction of US electricity currently comes from these sources, but that could change: studies have repeatedly shown that renewable energy can provide a significant share of future electricity needs, even after accounting for potential constraints [ 9].

In fact, a major government-sponsored study found that clean energy could contribute somewhere between three and 80 times its 2013 levels, depending on assumptions [8]. And the previously mentioned NREL study found that renewable energy could comfortably provide up to 80 percent of US electricity by 2050.

Jobs and other economic benefits

Compared with fossil fuel technologies, which are typically mechanized and capital intensive, the renewable energy industry is more labor intensive. Solar panels need humans to install them; wind farms need technicians for maintenance.

This means that, on average, more jobs are created for each unit of electricity generated from renewable sources than from fossil fuels.

Renewable energy already supports thousands of jobs in the United States. In 2016, the wind energy industry directly employed over 100,000 full-time-equivalent employees in a variety of capacities, including manufacturing, project development, construction and turbine installation, operations and maintenance, transportation and logistics, and financial, legal, and consulting services [ 10]. More than 500 factories in the United States manufacture parts for wind turbines, and wind power project installations in 2016 alone represented $13.0 billion in investments [ 11].

Other renewable energy technologies employ even more workers. In 2016, the solar industry employed more than 260,000 people, including jobs in solar installation, manufacturing, and sales, a 25% increase over 2015 [ 12]. The hydroelectric power industry employed approximately 66,000 people in 2017 [ 13]; the geothermal industry employed 5,800 people [ 14].

Increased support for renewable energy could create even more jobs. The 2009 Union of Concerned Scientists study of a 25-percent-by-2025 renewable energy standard found that such a policy would create more than three times as many jobs (more than 200,000) as producing an equivalent amount of electricity from fossil fuels [ 15].

In contrast, the entire coal industry employed 160,000 people in 2016 [ 26].

In addition to the jobs directly created in the renewable energy industry, growth in clean energy can create positive economic "ripple" effects. For example, industries in the renewable energy supply chain will benefit, and unrelated local businesses will benefit from increased household and business incomes [ 16].
Listen to energy expert Paula Garcia talk about renewable energy progress in the US on the Got Science? Podcast:
In English:

En español:

Local governments also benefit from clean energy, most often in the form of property and income taxes and other payments from renewable energy project owners. Owners of the land on which wind projects are built often receive lease payments ranging from $3,000 to $6,000 per megawatt of installed capacity, as well as payments for power line easements and road rights-of-way. They may also earn royalties based on the project's annual revenues. Farmers and rural landowners can generate new sources of supplemental income by producing feedstocks for biomass power facilities.

UCS analysis found that a 25-by-2025 national renewable electricity standard would stimulate $263.4 billion in new capital investment for renewable energy technologies, $13.5 billion in new landowner income from? biomass production and/or wind land lease payments, and $11.5 billion in new property tax revenue for local communities [ 17].

Stable energy prices

Renewable energy is providing affordable electricity across the country right now, and can help stabilize energy prices in the future.

Although renewable facilities require upfront investments to build, they can then operate at very low cost (for most clean energy technologies, the "fuel" is free). As a result, renewable energy prices can be very stable over time.

Moreover, the costs of renewable energy technologies have declined steadily, and are projected to drop even more. For example, the average price to install solar dropped more than 70 percent between 2010 and 2017 [ 20]. The cost of generating electricity from wind dropped 66 percent between 2009 and 2016 [ 21]. Costs will likely decline even further as markets mature and companies increasingly take advantage of economies of scale.

In contrast, fossil fuel prices can vary dramatically and are prone to substantial price swings. For example, there was a rapid increase in US coal prices due to rising global demand before 2008, then a rapid fall after 2008 when global demands declined [ 23]. Likewise, natural gas prices have fluctuated greatly since 2000 [ 25].

Using more renewable energy can lower the prices of and demand for natural gas and coal by increasing competition and diversifying our energy supplies. And an increased reliance on renewable energy can help protect consumers when fossil fuel prices spike.

Reliability and resilience

Wind and solar are less prone to large-scale failure because they are distributed and modular. Distributed systems are spread out over a large geographical area, so a severe weather event in one location will not cut off power to an entire region. Modular systems are composed of numerous individual wind turbines or solar arrays. Even if some of the equipment in the system is damaged, the rest can typically continue to operate.

For example, Hurricane Sandy damaged fossil fuel-dominated electric generation and distribution systems in New York and New Jersey and left millions of people without power. In contrast, renewable energy projects in the Northeast weathered Hurricane Sandy with minimal damage or disruption [ 25].

Water scarcity is another risk for non-renewable power plants. Coal, nuclear, and many natural gas plants depend on having sufficient water for cooling, which means that severe droughts and heat waves can put electricity generation at risk. Wind and solar photovoltaic systems do not require water to generate electricity and can operate reliably in conditions that may otherwise require closing a fossil fuel-powered plant. (For more information, see How it Works: Water for Electricity.)

The risk of disruptive events will also increase in the future as droughts, heat waves, more intense storms, and increasingly severe wildfires become more frequent due to global warming-increasing the need for resilient, clean technologies.
Learn more: References:
[1] Environmental Protection Agency. 2017. Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2015.

[2] Energy Information Agency (EIA). 2017. How much of the U.S. carbon dioxide emissions are associated with electricity generation?

[3] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 2011. IPCC Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation. Prepared by Working Group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [O. Edenhofer, R. Pichs-Madruga, Y. Sokona, K. Seyboth, P. Matschoss, S. Kadner, T. Zwickel, P. Eickemeier, G. Hansen, S. Schlömer, C. von Stechow (eds)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 1075 pp. (Chapter 9).

[4] Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). 2009. Clean Power Green Jobs.

[5] National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). 2012. Renewable Electricity Futures Study. Volume 1, pg. 210.

[6] Epstein, P.R.,J. J. Buonocore, K. Eckerle, M. Hendryx, B. M. Stout III, R. Heinberg, R. W. Clapp, B. May, N. L. Reinhart, M. M. Ahern, S. K. Doshi, and L. Glustrom. 2011. Full cost accounting for the life cycle of coal in "Ecological Economics Reviews." Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1219: 73-98.

[7] Renewable Electricity Futures Study. 2012.

[8] NREL. 2016. Estimating Renewable Energy Economic Potential in the United States: Methodology and Initial Results.

[9] Renewable Electricity Futures Study. 2012.

IPCC Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation. Prepared by Working Group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2011.

UCS. 2009. Climate 2030: A national blueprint for a clean energy economy.

[10] American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). 2017. AWEA U.S. Wind Industry Annual Market Report: Year Ending 2016. Washington, D.C.: American Wind Energy Association.

[11] Wiser, Ryan, and Mark Bolinger. 2017. 2016 Wind Technologies Market Report. U.S. Department of Energy.

[12] The Solar Foundation. 2017. National Solar Jobs Census 2016.

[13] Navigant Consulting. 2009. Job Creation Opportunities in Hydropower.

[14] Geothermal Energy Association. 2010. Green Jobs through Geothermal Energy.

[15] UCS. 2009. Clean Power Green Jobs.

[16] Environmental Protection Agency. 2010. Assessing the Multiple Benefits of Clean Energy: A Resource for States. Chapter 5.

[17] UCS. 2009. Clean Power Green Jobs.

[18] Deyette, J., and B. Freese. 2010. Burning coal, burning cash: Ranking the states that import the most coal. Cambridge, MA: Union of Concerned Scientists.

[20] SEIA. 2017. Solar Market Insight Report 2017 Q2.

[21] AWEA. 2017. AWEA U.S. Wind Industry Annual Market Report: Year Ending 2016. Washington, D.C.: American Wind Energy Association.

[22] UCS. 2009. Clean Power Green Jobs.

[23] UCS. 2011. A Risky Proposition: The financial hazards of new investments in coal plants.

[24] EIA. 2013. U.S. Natural Gas Wellhead Price.

[25] Unger, David J. 2012. Are renewables stormproof? Hurricane Sandy tests solar, wind. The Christian Science Monitor. November 19.

[26] Department of Energy. 2017 U.S. Energy and Employment Report

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Wind turbines and solar panels are an increasingly common sight. But why? What are the benefits of renewable energies-and how do they improve our health, environment, and economy? This page explores the many positive impacts of clean energy, including the benefits of wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and biomass.

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Germany has made huge but costly strides toward renewable power and energy sources. Can any other nation afford to follow it?

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Investing in renewable energy | Barclays Smart Investor

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Investing in renewable energy | Barclays Smart Investor

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Renewables are predicted to be the fastest-growing energy source over the next 20 years, with the sector boosted by falling costs for wind and solar power, and the energy market approaching 'peak coal'. ¹

The cost of electricity from offshore wind turbines is now cheaper than nuclear energy for the first time, with improved infrastructure and higher voltage cables seeing prices falling by almost half in the past two years. Bigger turbines, a growing UK supply chain, and the challenges facing the coal, oil and gas sector are among the various factors that have contributed to the falling cost and growing use of offshore wind energy. In 2007 renewable technologies accounted for 23% of new power capacity in the UK. Last year, this figure reached 61%, setting a new record of 157GW, dwarfing the 70GW of net fossil fuel generating capacity added in 2017. ² Latest figures from the National Grid show that around half of the UK's electricity last summer was generated from non-fossil fuel sources. ³

Meanwhile, according to the US Energy Information Administration, worldwide coal use remains flat, with the coal share of total world energy consumption predicted to decline from 27% in 2015 to 22% in 2040. ⁴

Some commentators claim the falling price of renewables and growing demand for these alternative energy sources signals a "new era" for UK energy, which could present opportunities for investors. The UK government has confirmed that it is committed to cutting carbon emissions to combat climate change and last October said that up to £557m would be made available for less established renewable electricity projects as part of its 'Clean Growth Strategy' to drive economic growth and clean up the energy system.

The outlook for renewables

Global energy demands continue to rise, partly driven by rapid growth in emerging economies such as China and India. Total worldwide energy usage is predicted to increase by nearly 40% over the next 20 years, which would require huge supplies of coal, oil and gas. However, fossil fuels are non-renewable sources that will one day be exhausted. ⁵

The UK is bound by the national Climate Change Act, which demands an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas pollution by 2050. ⁶ The Office for Budget Responsibility, the independent watchdog which provides analysis of the UK's public finances, recently projected that £8.4bn will be spent on renewable projects in the UK in 2020/21. ⁷

September 2017 saw the opening of the UK's first subsidy-free solar farm, demonstrating that that at least one solar can remain a commercially viable technology despite earlier government cuts to subsidies. ⁸ The UK has a target to meet 15% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2020, up from 8% in 2015. ⁸

There are also encouraging advances in the technology behind renewable energy production. For example, improvements in renewable energy and battery technologies could see energy generated from renewable sources such as solar panels stored for future use and fed into the grid when needed. ⁹

Ways to gain exposure to the renewable energy sector

Falling costs in the clean energy sector indicate an industry which is maturing, and is able to construct projects competitively and increasingly without subsidies. Government policy has also benefited the sector, though changes in regulation for the renewable energy sector may pose a risk to companies.

Investors keen to gain exposure to renewable energy must remember that this is still an emerging sector, with some technologies relatively untested and in the early stages of development. It is impossible to predict with absolute certainty which, if any, renewables will deliver returns and investors must therefore be comfortable accepting that there may be a greater risk of losses compared to investing in more established technologies. If you're unsure where to invest, consider seeking professional advice.

One option is Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), which are passive investments that mirror the performance of a single sector or market index, and can be traded in 'real time' just like shares. Their value falls and rises in line with the particular market or resource they are tracking. For example, the iShares Global Clean Energy ETF offers exposure to dozens of the world's largest companies involved in renewable energy. These include Verbund, Austria's leading electricity company and one of the largest producers of hydropower electricity in Europe, and SolarEdge which provides critical components to solar panels to maximise power generation whilst lowering the cost of energy produced.

Bear in mind that focusing on any individual sector is a risky approach as returns are dependent on the performance of the particular sector you have chosen. Ensuring your portfolio is properly diversified across a range of different sectors, asset types and geographical areas can help provide a degree of protection as, if one or more of your investments falls, hopefully some of your other holdings in different asset classes, sectors or regions, will be going up in value.
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Please be reminded that this article serves to illustrate how it is possible to invest in line with this theme. In using the funds and companies as examples, this does not constitute a recommendation to invest in these, or any other investment. Barclays has not undertaken a review of these funds, nor are they part of a Barclays Select list.

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Investing in renewable energy | Barclays Smart Investor

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Renewables are predicted to be the fastest-growing energy source over the next 20 years, with the sector boosted by falling costs for wind and solar power, and the energy market approaching 'peak coal'.

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Freedom from fossil fuels is closer than you think | Dhruvik Parikh | TEDxSnoIsleLibraries - YouTube

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Freedom from fossil fuels is closer than you think | Dhruvik Parikh | TEDxSnoIsleLibraries - YouTube

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Freedom from fossil fuels is closer than you think  | Dhruvik Parikh | TEDxSnoIsleLibraries

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Renewable Energy 101: How Does Biomass Energy Work? - YouTube

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Renewable Energy 101: How Does Biomass Energy Work? - YouTube

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Renewable Energy 101: How Does Biomass Energy Work?

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What is renewable energy? | CNBC Explains - YouTube

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What is renewable energy? | CNBC Explains - YouTube

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Information : By 2040, 37% of power generation is expected to come from renewable. That is compared to 23% today.

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What is renewable energy? | CNBC Explains

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Information

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By: Hannah Ritchie, Max Roser and Pablo Rosado

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Renewable energy sources are growing quickly and will play a vital role in tackling climate change.

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Nonrenewable and Renewable Energy Resources | QUEST | KQED Science

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Nonrenewable and Renewable Energy Resources | QUEST | KQED Science

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Hey! The post you are on right now was written in 2014. Please see this updated article with more current information, including new sections on climate change and nuclear power.

There are nine major areas of energy resources. They fall into two categories: nonrenewable and renewable. Nonrenewable energy resources, like coal, nuclear, oil, and natural gas, are available in limited supplies. This is usually due to the long time it takes for them to be replenished. Renewable resources are replenished naturally and over relatively short periods of time. The five major renewable energy resources are solar, wind, water (hydro), biomass, and geothermal.

Since the dawn of humanity people have used renewable sources of energy to survive -- wood for cooking and heating, wind and water for milling grain, and solar for lighting fires. A little more than 150 years ago people created the technology to extract energy from the ancient fossilized remains of plants and animals. These super-rich but limited sources of energy (coal, oil, and natural gas) quickly replaced wood, wind, solar, and water as the main sources of fuel.

Fossil fuels make up a large portion of today's energy market, although promising new renewable technologies are emerging. Careers in both the renewable and nonrenewable energy industries are growing; however, there are differences between the two sectors. They each have benefits and challenges, and relate to unique technologies that play a role in our current energy system. For a range of reasons, from the limited amount of fossil fuels available to their effects on the environment, there is increased interest in using renewable forms of energy and developing technologies to increase their efficiency. This growing industry calls for a new workforce.

This infographic is part of our Energy collection.

Discussion Questions for Exploring Careers in Renewable Energy

What are some ways that humans used renewable resources for energy centuries or even millennia ago?

Research what kind(s) of renewable energy your state produces. Why is your state an optimal location for that form of renewable energy?

Choose a renewable energy resource. Brainstorm three to five types of jobs in that field.

Research a new and innovative technology in each of the renewable energy categories. What are the benefits of the new technologies? What are the risks? Which area (solar, wind, etc.) sounds the most exciting to you? Why?

Take a look at the pie chart of our national energy consumption by source in 2011. Which renewable do you think has the potential for the most growth as a source of energy for the U.S.? Why? What factors are involved?

Links to Learn More

Energy Education and Workforce Development, U.S. Department of Energy website -- The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy supports education and workforce development. Find out about clean energy jobs, explore careers, and find internships in the renewable energy industry.

Renewable Energy, Green 360 website -- Get an insider view from people who work in the field of renewable energy. Hear about what a typical day is like for someone in the industry, learn about up-and-coming careers, find opportunities to get involved, and more with this blog.

The United States of Energy, Saxum infographics -- A series of infographics provides insight on our country's energy production and consumption of both renewable and nonrenewable energy sources.

PBS LearningMedia -- Find hundreds of digital media resources about renewable energy for use in the classroom from public media stations across the country.

NGSS Correlations

Performance Expectation: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity. HS-ESS3-1

Disciplinary Core Idea: Resource availability has guided the development of human society. HS-ESS3.A: Natural Resources

Science & Engineering Practices: Constructing explanations and designing solutions

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Nonrenewable and Renewable Energy Resources | KQED

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There are nine major areas of energy resources. They fall into two categories: nonrenewable and renewable. Nonrenewable energy resources, like coal, nuclear, oil, and natural gas, are available in limited supplies. This is usually due to the long time it takes for them to be replenished.

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Cost

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The cost of renewable energy is now falling so fast that it should be a consistently cheaper source of electricity generation than traditional fossil fuels within just a few years, according to a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

The organisation - which has more than 150 member countries - says the cost of generating power from onshore wind has fallen by around 23% since 2010 while the cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity has fallen by 73% in that time. With further price falls expected for these and other green energy options, IRENA says all renewable energy technologies should be competitive on price with fossil fuels by 2020.

Globally, onshore wind schemes are now costing an average of $0.06 per kilowatt hour (kWh), although some schemes are coming in at $0.04 per KwH, while the cost of solar PV is down to $0.10 per KwH. In comparison, the cost of electricity generation based on fossil fuels typically falls in a range of $0.05 to $0.17 per KwH.

The figures are contained in IRENA's Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2017 report, which was released on January 13, the first day of the 8th IRENA Assembly in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the UAE. The report predicts that solar costs will fall even further in the next few years, with a further halving of typical costs by 2020. That means onshore wind and solar PV projects could be consistently delivering electricity for as little as $0.03 per kWh within two years.

Adnan Amin, director-general of IRENA, says a significant shift is underway in the energy sector. "These cost declines across technologies are unprecendented and representative of the degree to which renewable energy is disrupting the global energy system," he said.

The expected price falls for green energy will provide a fresh challenge to the market position of legacy fuels and to the countries that rely on them for export earnings, such as many Miiddle East states which have long looked to oil and gas sales as the bedrock of their economies. It also provides a challenge for some Western countries including the United States, where President Donald Trump has made a point of championing the coal industry and has taken steps to increase oil output.

If renewable energy is indeed able to undercut the cost of legacy fuels, then governments and large corporations building new power plants will almost certainly turn to green energy for any new capacity, which will reduce demand for oil, natural gas and coal.

There are several reasons for the fast-improving cost performance of the key renewable energy technologies. One is the growing preference among governments for competitive bidding processes when handing out contracts to develop new power plants, which is helping to force down the tariffs that project developers can demand. Alongside that, there is a growing base of experienced developers competing for project opportunities around the world. Thirdly, continued advances are being made in the technologies themselves.

While onshore wind and PV solar are leading the way, other sister technologies are also becoming more competitive. IRENA estimates that offshore wind and concentrating solar power should cost in a range of $0.06-$0.10 per KwH by 2020-22.

And although solar and wind power are the main drivers of a shift to renewable energy, other green energy sources are also becoming more competitive. The report points to bioenergy, geothermal and hydropower which, it says, have all been able to compete directly on cost with fossil fuels in some cases over the past year.

The falls in costs is leading to some big investements. IRENA says that since 2013 more than $1 trillion has been invested in renewable energy around the world and the industry now provides nearly 10 million jobs.

"Turning to renewables for new power generation is not simply an environmentally conscious decision, it is now - overwhelmingly - a smart economic one," said Amin. "We expect the transition to gather further momentum around the world in 2018."

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Renewable Energy Will Be Consistently Cheaper Than Fossil Fuels By 2020, Report Claims

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The cost of renewable energy is now falling so fast that it should be a consistently cheaper source of electricity generation than traditional fossil fuels within just a few years, according to a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

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Renewable Energy 101 | National Geographic - Youtube

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Renewable Energy 101 | National Geographic - Youtube

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Information: Renewable Energy is generated from sources that naturally themselves and never run out.

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Renewable Energy 101 | National Geographic

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Information

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This Just Became the World's Cheapest Form of Electricity Out of Nowhere

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Solar power is becoming the world's cheapest form of new electricity generation according to data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).

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Your Renewable Energy Technology Is Growing Old — What's Next? | CleanTechnica

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Your Renewable Energy Technology Is Growing Old — What's Next? | CleanTechnica

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Originally published on NREL's website.

The cutting-edge research at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will one day go to waste-but not into a landfill.

Every technology eventually runs into the end of its life. Photovoltaic (PV) panels and lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries become less effective and need to be replaced. Researchers at NREL are making strides toward ensuring old technology can be more easily recycled.

"We're thinking about this broadly across many technologies, but PV is the one we've been thinking about the longest at the lab," said Garvin Heath, a senior scientist and member of the Resources and Sustainability Group in NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center.

While hundreds of millions of tons of trash continue to be dumped into American landfills annually, a growing percentage has been diverted to recycling centers since the first Earth Day in 1970. But these centers aren't set up for renewable energy technologies. NREL is looking to answer questions such as: "What methods should be used to recycle materials from PV panels and batteries used to power electric vehicles?" and "How can that be done economically?"

Demand for PV Power Raises Solar Panel Questions

Globally, the amount of energy generated by PV has risen exponentially since the early 1990s, when it barely registered, to 512 gigawatts last year. The amount is expected to hit 4.5 terawatts in 2050. Lagging that increase will come a surfeit of PV panels past their prime. In 2050, the United States is projected to have 10 million metric tons of PV waste-half of what China's problem will be, according to a report co-authored by HeathPDF . In addition to his work at NREL, Heath leads a task force on the sustainability issues of PV for the International Energy Agency.

Most solar panels today use silicon in converting sunlight into electricity and carry a 25-year warranty. More than 90% of a PV panel's weight comes from glass, plastic, and aluminum, which aren't hazardous waste. But the trace elements of silver, tin, and lead that are also part of the panels are considered hazardous, so ensuring proper disposal at end of life is important.

It's also important to recover the precious, critical, and hazardous materials in end-of-life panels. "If we can extract the materials, the potential value of those materials is considerable," Heath said.

A 2050 estimate projects that, in the United States, enough raw materials can be recovered to produce 2 billion new panels (the equivalent of 630 gigawatts) and puts the value of those materials at $15 billion. "Of course, if those materials go back into creating new modules, that's a nice circular loop," Heath said. "Not all those materials are going to be able to do that, but there's potential there."

One U.S. Manufacturer, First Solar, unveiled a free PV recycling program in 2005. The company's panels differ from the more commonly used silicon panels in that they are made using cadmium telluride (CdTe), and cadmium ranks as one of the most toxic materials on the planet. First Solar recaptures about 95% of the CdTe, refines it, and then reuses it in a new solar panel through a recycling process they own and run at several facilities around the world.

A law that took effect last year across the European Union requires that at least 85% of waste from PV panels must be recovered, and 80% of that waste must be either recycled or reused. "This is just a start," said Michael Kempe, a senior scientist at NREL. "It essentially means that the frames and glass need to be recycled because that is where the mass is."

In the United States, only one state has decided what must be done with PV panels at the end of their life. In 2017 Washington approved a law requiring manufacturers to finance a takeback and recycling system at no cost to the owner. The law will take effect in 2021, at which time only PV manufacturers participating in a recycling plan will be allowed to sell their panels in the state.

Recycling PV panels will require that they first be collected and transported, which is an expensive process. Then the components must be separated, which is also expensive. The Electric Power Research Institute reports of hearing recyclers quoting prices between $10 and $30 a module just for processing. The costs are expected to come down as the amount of waste volume increases.

The price that owners of rooftop PV panels ultimately must pay will determine where that piece of technology winds up. "If they have to pay $25 to recycle it, it's going in a landfill," Kempe said. "But if they can take it to a recycling facility for free, that's where it will go. This is why it is so important for economical recycling processes to be developed and implemented."

Kempe, whose research focuses on ways to extend the lifespan of PV panels, said his goal is to see them last for 50 years. Manufacturers could make some changes to a PV panel so that it would be easier to recycle decades from now, but that's not likely to happen if it means sacrificing durability or performance. "That trumps ease of recycling," Kempe said.

Battery Research Includes National Prize for Recycling Effort

A new area of research at NREL involves the ease of recycling Li-ion batteries. Those batteries are expected to become ubiquitous as more electric vehicles hit the road. Electric vehicles make up only about 1% of new car sales in the United States, but that is expected to reach 22% in 2025.

To address issues related to recycling Li-ion batteries, DOE in February unveiled the ReCell Center, a collaboration between NREL, Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and several universities. NREL's role in ReCell calls for coming up with a new design for Li-ion batteries, one that will be easy to recycle, said Ahmad Pesaran, the laboratory's energy storage chief engineer. "Right now, the way batteries are put together, it's welded. Everything's tightly together. It's not conducive to pulling part. You have to shred everything at the same time. This creates a lot of waste."

Total battery waste is forecast to reach as much as 170,000 tons a year by 2020, and currently only a handful of U.S. companies are set up to reclaim and recycle the materials used in Li-ion batteries: lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, and graphite. But by recycling and reusing certain high-value elements-notably lithium and cobalt-manufacturers would be able to lower their costs and stave off potential shortages of those materials.

"The good thing is we already have these batteries here in the United States, so it's sort of like a virtual mine of cobalt," said Ahmad Mayyas, an NREL engineer who has written about the case for recycling Li-ion automotive batteries. "So why should these batteries go to the landfill?"

Laws are already in place across the country to keep lead acid batteries out of landfills, and according to the Environmental Protection Agency, about 99% are recycled. The lead is then used to make new batteries.

The issue of recycling Li-ion batteries is more complicated, partly because no laws exist forbidding the dumping of this spent technology. The more diverse materials used in Li-ion batteries requires careful sorting. Then there's the potential for fires if the batteries are improperly handled. "There have been fires in waste management facilities because people throw their cellphone and laptop batteries in the waste," Pesaran said.

Plus, the U.S. Department of Transportation considers Li-ion batteries hazardous to transport. "It doesn't matter if you have the best recycling approach if you cannot collect them and send them to the recycling facilities cost-effectively and safely," Pesaran said.

To help address these challenges, NREL is administering DOE's $5.5 million Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize, an upcoming competition intended to find the best ways to profitably capture 90% of spent or discarded Li-ion batteries by collecting, sorting, and transporting them to recycling facilities so that the materials can be reused. Registration for the challenge closes July 31.

Research Could Make Composite Materials Recyclable

Another notable NREL project involves converting a single-use plastic bottle into something more valuable and, in the process, creating an economic incentive to deter discarding. Only about 29% of plastic bottles in the United States are recycled annually, according to the American Chemistry Council. That leaves a lot of plastic tossed aside.

Gregg Beckham, a senior research fellow at NREL, and his colleagues developed a chemical process to combine the plastic commonly used for water bottles, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), with bio-based compounds. The result is a composite material that's noticeably stronger than the original plastic and can be used to make everything from snowboards to wind turbine blades.

"A water bottle you use from minutes to hours," Beckham said. "A composite material you typically use from years to decades."

Recyclers shred PET into flakes, which can then be reconstituted into other materials such as carpets and polyester clothing. But the going rate for reclaimed PET is small, at about 51 cents a pound. Turning that PET into a composite increases its worth. "The inherent value, the selling price, of the composite material will be much greater," Beckham said, estimating the number at $2.60 a pound.

When that composite material nears the end of its lifespan, however, another issue emerges. Composites can't be easily recycled, nor can they be broken down into component parts for reuse. NREL researchers want to change that.

"We're working on ways to basically put Trojan horses into a composite such that during its lifetime as a wind turbine or a snowboard, it's fine," Beckham said. "It will do its thing and will look and feel and act exactly like those materials. But at the end of its life you could dump it into acid or dump it into base or heat it up well beyond its operational temperature and then make it into something that can flow again and you can recycle it into, for example, another composite."

Derek Berry, a senior engineer with NREL's National Wind Technology Center, faces the problem of what to do with composite blades from wind turbines that have outlived their usefulness. The blades are designed to last for 20 years, but turbine operators can swap them out for newer, better models capable of generating more energy.

"The amount of new energy production annually is often worth the cost of scrapping the old blades and installing new ones," Berry said. "All of a sudden on a given wind farm you might have hundreds of blades taken down and what do you do with those blades?"

One forecast estimates there could be as much as 705,000 tons of discarded wind turbine blades in the United States by 2030. The blades often wind up at the landfill. As for recycling, that typically involves chopping them into small pieces and using that to shore up a concrete mix, for example.

Changing the chemical makeup of a blade could lead to producing ones that can be recycled and their materials reused, NREL researchers have predicted. The current process to make a blade uses fiberglass or carbon fiber mixed with a thermoset resin, which is heated to form a fiber-reinforced composite. "That is irreversible," Berry said. "You can heat that up all you want; it's not going to melt. You can burn it, but you get very little out of it. It's an irreversible process and therefore it's very, very difficult to recycle."

NREL researchers are experimenting with a thermoplastic resin system, which cures at room temperature. The result is a blade that's potentially less expensive to manufacture and capable of being recycled. "You can apply a certain amount of heat, melt it down, turn it back to liquid, and use the resin system again," Berry said.

NREL is preparing to validate how a 13-meter wind turbine blade made using the new thermoplastic system and compare the results against a baseline blade manufactured with traditional thermoset resin. The blades were both made from the same mold, which will provide a nearly exact comparison. "This will be a huge step for us," Berry said. "If everything goes well, the next step is to work with industry partners to help them commercialize the material."
-Wayne Hicks

Tags: battery recycling, ev battery recycling, Li-ion battery recycling, lithium-ion battery recycling, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), NREL, solar energy recycling, solar panel recycling

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Your Renewable Energy Technology Is Growing Old - What's Next?

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Originally published on NREL's website. The cutting-edge research at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will one day go to waste-but not into a landfill. Every technology eventually runs into the end of its life. Photovoltaic (PV) panels and lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries become less effective and need to be replaced.

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Industry push for decentralised renewable energy not a priority these elections

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Industry push for decentralised renewable energy not a priority these elections

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Industry push for decentralised renewable energy not a priority these elections

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While renewable energy has made it to manifestos of political parties standing in the Lok Sabha elections, specific concerns by the industry have been left out, despite a concerted appeal by the sector players. On March 18, close to a month before the elections began, members of Clean Energy Access Network (CLEAN), comprising 160 private [...]

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Newsela - Generating energy from the wind

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Newsela - Generating energy from the wind

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Newsela | Generating energy from the wind

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Wind, an original source of energy, is coming back in favor around the world.

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Most energy efficient ceiling fan in India

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Energy is an inevitable requirement where we want development to take place. All these power generation techniques can be described as renewable since they are not depleting any resources to create the energy. Renewable sources of energy are the ones which can be generated continuously in nature and are inexhaustible. These are the top 10 energy sources:

10. Biomass
Biomass or bio-energy, the energy from organic matter for thousands of years, ever since people started burning wood to cook food. Wood is still our largest biomass energy resource even today. Other sources of biomass can be used including plants, residues from agriculture or forestry and the organic components. Plants and animal matters are used for production of fibers chemicals or heat. The net emission of carbon dioxide will be zero as long as plants continue to be replenished for biomass energy purposes. Burning of plant or animal matters causes' air and water pollution. The burning of dung destroys essential nitrogen and phosphorus. Therefore, it is more useful to convert the biomass into biogas or bio fuels.

9. Biogas
Biogas is a mixture of methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and hydrogen sulphite, the major constituents being methane. Biogas is produced by anaerobic degradation of animal and plant wastes in the presence of water. Anaerobic degradation is to break down the organic matter by bacteria in the absence of oxygen. It is a non-polluting, clean and low cost fuel which is very useful for rural areas. Biogas plants used in our country are of two types; fixed dome biogas plant and floating drum biogas plant.

8. Tidal Energy
Tidal energy is not a very popular energy source, but has immense potential of becoming one in the near future. Tidal energy can be generated in two ways, tidal stream generators or by barrage generation. The power created through tidal generators is generally environmental friendly and causes less impact on established ecosystems. It is similar to the wind energy. Tidal energy is the only form of energy that derives directly from the motions of the Earth-Moon system. The tidal forces produced by the Moon-Sun in combination with Earth's rotation are responsible for the tides.

7. Wind Energy
Wind energy is a conversion of wind energy by wind turbines into a useful form, such as electricity or mechanical energy. Wind farms are installed on agricultural land or grazing areas, have one of the lowest environmental impacts of all energy sources. The principal application of wind power today is the generation of electricity, historically; it has been used directly to propel sailing ships or converted into mechanical energy for pumping water or grinding grains.

6. Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy is the heat from Earth. It's clean and sustainable. Resources of geothermal energy range from the shallow ground to hot water and hot rock found a few miles beneath the Earth's surface and down even deeper to the extremely high temperatures of molten rock called magma. The steam or hot water comes out of the cracks in the Earth and when it doesn't find any way to come out, holes are drilled with pipes in it to gush the hot water out due to high pressure which turn the turbines of a generator to produce electricity.

5. Radiant Energy
99% of the cost of normal electricity can be saved by the use of radiant energy. It performs the same functions, but doesn't possess behavior similar to electricity. Nikola Tesla's magnifying transmitter, T Henry Moray's radiant energy device, Edwin Gray's EMA motor & Paul Baumann's Testatika machine all ran on radiant energy. Nikola Tesla built one of the earliest wireless telephones to be based on radiant energy.

4. Hydro Electricity
This is the most widely used form of renewable energy. The gravitation force of falling water is the key point in hydroelectricity generation. Small scale hydro or micro-hydro power has been an increasingly popular alternative energy source, especially in remote areas where other power sources are not viable. The hydro power sites has a few major environmental problems like water logging and siltation, Causes loss to biodiversity of fish population and other aquatic animals. It also displaces local people and creates problems of rehabilitation and related socio-economic problems.

3. Compressed Natural Gas
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is a substitute for gasoline, diesel or propane fuel. It is cleaner and safer to use as it diffuses easily into the surroundings if leaked. However, burning it does release a few greenhouse gases in the air. CNG is used in traditional gasoline internal combustion engine cars that have been converted into bi-fuel vehicles.

2. Solar Energy
The sun offers an ideal energy source, unlimited in supply, expensive, which does not add to the earth's total heat burden and does not produce air and water pollutants. Solar installations in recent years have also largely begun to expand into residential areas with government offering incentive programs to make "green" energy a more economically viable option.

1. Nuclear Energy
Proponents of nuclear energy contend that nuclear power is a sustainable energy source that reduces carbon emissions and increases energy security by decreasing dependence on foreign oil. Nuclear fission is used to extract energy from atomic nuclei via controlled nuclear reactions. Utility scale reactors are use to produce steam which is then converted into mechanical work for the purpose of generating electricity or propulsion.
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Energy is an inevitable requirement where we want development to take place. All these power generation techniques can be described as renewable since they are not depleting any resources to create the energy. Renewable sources of energy are the ones which can be generated continuously in nature and are inexhaustible.

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Renewable Energy, forms and types of renewable energy

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Renewable Energy, forms and types of renewable energy

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There are many forms of renewable energy . Most of these renewable energies depend in one way or another on sunlight.

Wind and hydroelectric power are the direct result of differential heating of the Earth's surface which leads to air moving about (wind) and precipitation forming as the air is lifted. Solar energy is the direct conversion of sunlight using panels or collectors.

Biomass energy is stored sunlight contained in plants. Other renewable energies that do not depend on sunlight are geothermal energy, which is a result of radioactive decay in the crust combined with the original heat of accreting the Earth, and tidal energy, which is a conversion of gravitational energy.

Solar. This form of energy relies on the nuclear fusion power from the core of the Sun. This energy can be collected and converted in a few different ways. The range is from solar water heating with solar collectors or attic cooling with solar attic fans for domestic use to the complex technologies of direct conversion of sunlight to electrical energy using mirrors and boilers or photovoltaic cells. Unfortunately these are currently insufficient to fully power our modern society.

Wind Power. The movement of the atmosphere is driven by differences of temperature at the Earth's surface due to varying temperatures of the Earth's surface when lit by sunlight. Wind energy can be used to pump water or generate electricity, but requires extensive areal coverage to produce significant amounts of energy.

Hydroelectric energy. This form uses the gravitational potential of elevated water that was lifted from the oceans by sunlight. It is not strictly speaking renewable since all reservoirs eventually fill up and require very expensive excavation to become useful again. At this time, most of the available locations for hydroelectric dams are already used in the developed world.

Biomass is the term for energy from plants. Energy in this form is very commonly used throughout the world. Unfortunately the most popular is the burning of trees for cooking and warmth. This process releases copious amounts of carbon dioxide gases into the atmosphere and is a major contributor to unhealthy air in many areas. Some of the more modern forms of biomass energy are methane generation and production of alcohol for automobile fuel and fueling electric power plants.

Hydrogen and fuel cells. These are also not strictly renewable energy resources but are very abundant in availability and are very low in pollution when utilized. Hydrogen can be burned as a fuel, typically in a vehicle, with only water as the combustion product. This clean burning fuel can mean a significant reduction of pollution in cities. Or the hydrogen can be used in fuel cells, which are similar to batteries, to power an electric motor. In either case significant production of hydrogen requires abundant power. Due to the need for energy to produce the initial hydrogen gas, the result is the relocation of pollution from the cities to the power plants. There are several promising methods to produce hydrogen, such as solar power, that may alter this picture drastically.

Geothermal power. Energy left over from the original accretion of the planet and augmented by heat from radioactive decay seeps out slowly everywhere, everyday. In certain areas the geothermal gradient (increase in temperature with depth) is high enough to exploit to generate electricity. This possibility is limited to a few locations on Earth and many technical problems exist that limit its utility. Another form of geothermal energy is Earth energy, a result of the heat storage in the Earth's surface. Soil everywhere tends to stay at a relatively constant temperature, the yearly average, and can be used with heat pumps to heat a building in winter and cool a building in summer. This form of energy can lessen the need for other power to maintain comfortable temperatures in buildings, but cannot be used to produce electricity.

Other forms of energy. Energy from tides, the oceans and hot hydrogen fusion are other forms that can be used to generate electricity. Each of these is discussed in some detail with the final result being that each suffers from one or another significant drawback and cannot be relied upon at this time to solve the upcoming energy crunch.

Can A Country Achieve 100% Renewable Energy?
If you think 100% renewable energy will never happen, think again. Several countries have adopted ambitious plan to obtain their power from renewable energy. These countries are not only accelerating RE installations but are also integrating RE into their existing infrastructure to reach a 100% RE mix. Read our article..
What are renewable energy sources? Solar power can be used directly for heating and producing electricity or indirectly via biomass, wind, ocean thermal, and hydroelectric power. Energy from the gravititational field can be harnessed by tidal power; and the internal heat of the Earth can be tapped geothermally.

These tools and more can help make the transition from non-renewable to renewable and environmentally friendly energy. However, none of these is sufficiently developed or abundant enough to substitute for fossil fuels use. Every one of these power sources (with the exception of hydroelectric) has low environmental costs, and combined have the potential to be important in avoiding a monumental crisis when the fossil fuel crunch hits. These energy sources are often non-centralized, leading to greater consumer control and involvement.

However, currently each of these energy forms is significantly more expensive than fossil fuels, which will lead to economic dislocations and hardship if they become the only power source for the future.

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There are many forms of renewable energy . Most of these renewable energies depend in one way or another on sunlight. Wind and hydroelectric power are the direct result of differential heating of the Earth's surface which leads to air moving about (wind) and precipitation forming as the air is lifted.

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Can 100% renewable energy power the world? - Federico Rosei and Renzo Rosei in TED ED

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Can 100% renewable energy power the world? - Federico Rosei and Renzo Rosei in TED ED

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Can 100% renewable energy power the world? - Federico Rosei and Renzo Rosei

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6 Benefits of Renewable Energy We Need to Consider

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6 Benefits of Renewable Energy We Need to Consider

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Renewable energy seems unattainable sometimes and like magic other times, but the reality is quite different. From solar and wind power to geothermal, biomass and hydroelectric energy, here are six benefits of alternative energy sources that we really need to consider.
Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
A wealth of alternative energy sources, from wind and solar energy to hydroelectricity and biomass fuel offer a way to power homes, vehicles or businesses without using fossil fuels. That means renewable energy sources can help reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions we put into the air. Wind power and solar power are fairly self-explanatory; they use the power of the wind or the sun to generate electricity. This electricity is generally stored in batteries and can be distributed like traditional utility electricity.

Hydroelectricity works in much the same way, by using a natural power source - in this case, - to generate power. Geography can be an issue with all three sources, but the payoff is great for areas well suited to wind, solar and hydroelectricity: they produce zero emissions.
Create jobs
Renewable energy tends to be more labor-intensive than fossil fuel sources of energy, thus creating more jobs. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, thousands of people already work for companies connected with renewable energy. This includes people who work for utility companies as well as those who work for companies that produce parts for utilities, like wind turbines or solar panels. The Union of Concerned Scientists conducted an analysis in 2009 centered on an ideal of 25 percent of our energy coming from renewable sources by 2020. A staggering 202,000 new jobs would be needed to support this infrastructure by that time. How is this not a great idea?
Diversify our energy supply
"Reducing our dependence on foreign oil" is a phrase used by many political candidates on both sides of the fence. Ironically, some of these same politicians don't see how beneficial renewable energy is in terms of diversifying our supply to reduce our dependence on oil companies. Hydropower, for example, is a great source of domestically-produced power that generates power directly to the grid. The same can be said for solar, wind and geothermal energy sources. In fact, according to National Geographic , geothermal energy from "underground reservoirs of steam and hot water can be tapped to generate electricity or to heat and cool buildings directly," which means geothermal energy can be accessed all year long, making it both renewable and reliable.
Improve public health
This one almost goes without saying. If we use renewable energy more often, then we'll all reap the health benefits. A study from the Clean Energy and Climate Change Office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that Americans spend an estimated $361.7 to $886.5 billion each year on our health for conditions related to the use of fossil fuels. Such conditions include cancer, neurological problems, heart disease and more.

One renewable resource to consider is biomass. Biomass uses agricultural or restaurant waste - vegetable oil is a great source of biomass energy - as well as corn and soybeans to power vehicles that would otherwise run on fossil fuels. Biomass helps eliminate fossil fuel emissions while cutting down on the waste going to landfills. That's a win-win in our book.
Provide individual energy independence
With climate change, extreme weather has become a fact of life. It's hotter in the summer and colder in the winter in many parts of the United States. In reaction, we tend to crank up the heat in the cold months and use air conditioning to keep the temperature way down in the summer. This behavior leads to the necessity of brownouts or rolling blackouts in some areas, leaving houses without much-needed electricity.

Solar energy is a renewable energy source that you can install right on, or beside, your house. When it's attached to the grid, any power you don't use goes to the utility company, and they may end up having to pay you for power instead of the other way around. But one of the coolest things about having your own renewable source of energy is that you're independent of neighbors or the utility company. This means everyone else could be experiencing a brownout in the summertime while you're using the power of the sun to keep cool.
Save money
Once the initial cost of construction and setup of a renewable power source is covered, it can quite quickly begin to pay for itself. Some sources allow you to save money quicker than others. Solar, for example, requires a large investment up front, so the payoff is delayed when compared to other sources. However, proper storage decisions, such as the amount and quality of batteries used, can help reduce costs on a grand scale.

It's high time we look at some of the benefits of renewable energy for what they are: ways to help us all live better, healthier lives. If we can save a little money and enjoy some independence in the process, that's even better.

What are your thoughts on renewable energy?
-The Alternative Daily
Sources:
http://energy.gov/eere/wind/advantages-and-challenges-wind-energy
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/renewable-energy/public-benefits-of-renewable.html#.VmYEVXarSUk
http://energy.gov/eere/water/benefits-hydropower
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/geothermal-profile
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23246069
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/renewable-energy/public-benefits-of-renewable.html#references

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6 Benefits of Renewable Energy We Need to Consider

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Renewable energy seems unattainable sometimes and like magic other times, but the reality is quite different. From solar and wind power to geothermal, biomass and hydroelectric energy, here are six benefits of alternative energy sources that we really need to consider.

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Importance of Renewable Energy and Types of Renewable Energy Resources

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Importance of Renewable Energy and Types of Renewable Energy Resources

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Read about the benefits of renewable energy and the different types of renewable energy.

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Comparisons

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Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Energy Resources ( Read ) | Earth Science

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Compare and contrasts renewable and non-renewable resources.

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Discover the benefits, environmental impact, economic benefits and energy security of renewable energy.

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This one is a comparison

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Renewable energy-wind, solar, hydroelectricity and geothermal energy-is growing steadily worldwide. Countries leading the way in renewable energy include:

Going 100 per cent Renewable by 2050

Some countries have set targets and goals to be run by 100 per cent renewable energy in the near future. At a 2016 United Nations Climate Change Conference, , nearly 50 countries agreed to only use renewable energy by 2050. Countries like the Philippines and Colombia pledged to make their energy production 100 per cent renewable between 2030 and 2050, at the latest. U.S. last year (2017) The U.S. and Canada, however, are slowly catching up to the countries with such pledges that are leading the way. In the according to the Government of Canada . about 18 per cent of all electricity was from renewable sources. In Canada, the amount is about the same at 18.9 per cent,
Help Canada commit to creating more sustainable energy projects through our petition, closing on September 25
Barriers to Renewable Energy

Many agree more renewable energy worth striving for. But there are barriers stopping more renewable energy from being produced . One of those major barriers is cost. According to a U.S.-based organization , the bulk of renewable energy costs come from building the technology in the first place. A new natural gas plant might have costs around $1,000/kW (kilowatts are a measure of power capacity). While the average cost to install a solar system ranges from $2,000/kW to almost $3,700 for residential systems. Wind costs around $1,200 to $1,700/kW, according to the organization.

Cost is also an issue when it comes to transmission of the electricity-the power lines and infrastructure needed to move electricity from where it's generated to where it's consumed. Wind and solar farms aren't all sited near old non-renewable power plants. This means that new systems need to be set up. Other barriers to renewable energy include market entry and political/government support.

Is Re newable Energy Cheaper in the Long-run?

New research shows that, in the long-run, renewable energy is more cost effective than non-renewable energy. Company Lazard considered costs over the lifespan of energy projects and found wind and utility-scale solar can be the least expensive energy generating sources . As of 2017, the cost (before tax credits that would further drop the costs) of wind power was $30-60 per megawatt-hour (a measure of energy). Large-scale solar costs are $43-53/MWh. For comparison: energy from the most efficient type of natural gas plants costs $42-78/MWh. Coal power costs at least $60/MWh.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reports that costs for renewable energy is down. In a recent report, IRENA noted that solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are more than 80 per cent cheaper than in 2009. In addition, electricity costs from solar photovoltaic panels fell by almost three-quarters from 2010-2017. IRENA notes their costs continue to decline.

Depending on the market, wind turbine prices have also fallen by about half over a similar period. These price drops are leading to cheaper wind power globally. By 2020, the renewable power generation technologies now in use will be at the lower end of the fossil-fuel cost range, or even cheaper than fossil fuels.

Although renewable energy is growing, it still needs extra investment up front in comparison to non-renewable energy. Many countries-and individuals-see the benefit of investing now for a more sustainable and greener future.
If you want to see Canada invest in more renewable energy projects, sign our petition by September 25!

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The Cost of Renewable Energy Versus Fossil Fuels - Nature's Path

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Renewable energy-wind, solar, hydroelectricity and geothermal energy-is growing steadily worldwide. Countries leading the way in renewable energy include: Iceland Sweden Costa Rica, Nicaragua the U.K Germany Uruguay China Going 100 per cent Renewable by 2050 Some countries have set targets and goals to be run by 100 per cent renewable energy in the ...

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This one is predictions

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Getty Images/Mark Kolbe

A new report predicts the cost of renewable energy will drop significantly by 2020, making it less expensive than fossil fuels.

Last year, solar and wind power accounted for nearly 95% of new energy in the US.

Using renewable energy, instead of fossil fuels, is not only an environmentally conscious decision, but also an economical one.

Renewable energy may not be completely replacing fossil fuels just yet, but it's undeniable that society is warming to the idea of using solar and wind power in place of coal. In some parts of the world we're already beginning to see the effects of such a paradigm shift: Last year, Britain began generating twice as much electricity from wind than coal, which contributed to 2017 being the greenest year ever for the United Kingdom.

In the United States, solar and wind power accounted for nearly 95 percent of all new electricity capacity added last year, according to . That success can also be partially attributed to the closures of fossil fuel plants.

In the coming years, we're sure to see renewable energy become a real competitor in the fossil fuel industry. A new report recently published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), predicts the cost of renewable energy will experience a noticeable drop by 2020, putting it on par with, or cheaper than, fossil fuels.

The report, titled " Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2017," read: "[By 2020,] all the renewable power generation technologies that are now in commercial use are expected to fall within the fossil fuel-fired cost range, with most at the lower end or undercutting fossil fuel."

Fossil fuel generation today costs between $0.05 - $0.17 per kilowatt hour in G20 countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Russia, Japan, India, and Germany. By 2020, however, renewables are expected to cost $0.03 - $0.10 per kilowatt hour, with the price of onshore wind power and solar photovoltaic (PV) projects expected to be as low as $0.03 per kilowatt hour by 2019.

Presently, offshore wind projects and solar thermal energy can still be quite costly, but they too are expected to drop in price between 2020 and 2022 - to $0.06 - $0.10 per kilowatt hour.

"This new dynamic signals a significant shift in the energy paradigm," said Adnan Z. Amin, IRENA Director-General, in a statement. "These cost declines across technologies are unprecedented and representative of the degree to which renewable energy is disrupting the global energy system."

Changes to come

If IRENA's predictions prove to be true, the lower price of renewable energy will certainly make it harder for the fossil fuel industry to ignore. Renewables will soon be both environmentally friendly, and cost-effective.

We've already seen signs of fossil fuels doing more harm than good on both counts. First, U.K.-based think-tank Carbon Tracker Initiative reported in December that coal plants are becoming more of a financial burden, with over 50 percent of coal plants in the U.K. incurring losses. By 2030, 97 percent of remaining coals plants are expected to be in the same situation.

An incident in South Australia made headlines when Tesla's newly-installed megawatt battery had to quickly save the day, protecting a power grid from an impending coal plant failure. The incident showcased that renewables and the technology that enables them are capable of covering for fossil fuels when then fail.

"Turning to renewables for new power generation is not simply an environmentally conscious decision, it is now - overwhelmingly - a smart economic one," continued Amin. "We expect the transition to gather further momentum, supporting jobs, growth, improved health, national resilience and climate mitigation around the world in 2018 and beyond."

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Renewable energy will be cheaper than fossil fuels by 2020, according to a new report

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A new report predicts the cost of renewable energy will drop significantly by 2020, making it less expensive than fossil fuels. Last year, solar and wind power accounted for nearly 95% of new energy in the US. Using renewable energy, instead of fossil fuels, is not only an environmentally conscious decision, but also an economical one.

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Is Renewable Energy Worth It?: The Economics of Renewable Energy