9 Types of Renewable Technology That Are Taking Over The World

 9 Types of Renewable Technology That Are Taking Over The World

Intro

Renewable energy technology has been around since the days of the first human civilizations, but it has become increasingly necessary to implement them in today’s world due to the lack of fossil fuels and the need to lessen our negative impact on the environment by reducing carbon emissions. Because of this, there are innovations in renewable energy being developed every year that are making it easier than ever to use renewable sources of power. Here are 9 types of renewable technology that are taking over the world as we speak.

Geothermal Heating and Cooling

Geothermal Heating and Cooling are the most popular forms of renewable energy in the world. This is because it is a low-cost and reliable option that doesn't put a strain on the environment. Geothermal heating systems take advantage of the natural heat stored deep in the earth to heat and cool buildings, so they don't need to be hooked up to an electric supply or use fossil fuels for power as other heating systems do. 

Geothermal cooling works similarly by extracting moisture from deep inside rocks and transferring it through pipes or coils into a building where it evaporates, thereby lowering its temperature.

Solar Panels

Solar panels are made up of photovoltaic cells which convert sunlight into electricity. The sun's photons knock electrons loose from the solar cells, generating a flow of electricity. This is called the photovoltaic effect and was first observed in 1839 by French physicist Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel. 

Wind Turbines

Wind power has been around for centuries, but it wasn't until the 20th century that people started to harness its potential. 

Today, wind power is one of the fastest-growing forms of renewable energy. Wind turbines are becoming increasingly popular as a clean and sustainable way to produce electricity. There are several different types of turbines, but two major designs include the horizontal axis (HAWT) and the vertical axis (VAWT).

Hydroelectric Power

With the world looking for ways to fight global warming, there has been an increase in new and improved forms of renewable energy.

One such form is hydroelectric power, which generates electricity by harnessing the potential power that water has when it is pushed uphill by a dam. With this type of power, there are no carbon emissions or burning of fossil fuels - only clean water as a source for generating electricity.

The main reason why hydroelectric power has become so popular is due to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness. 

It can produce high amounts of energy without using any fuel or emitting any harmful substances into the air, making it one of the most environmentally friendly sources of renewable energy available today.

Tide Energy

Tide energy is a type of renewable energy that uses tidal flow and patterns to generate electricity. It has been used in countries such as France, England, and Canada for decades. 

The downside to this type of renewable energy is that it only works with tidal zones. This limits the places where it can be implemented since not all coastal regions are suitable for the technology. 

Tides are caused by gravitational forces between the Earth, Moon, and Sun. These forces cause water on either side of a shoreline to bulge outwards as they pull towards each other on either side. When there is an imbalance in these forces, or if one force becomes stronger than another then there will be high tides or low tides respectively.

Biomass Power

Biomass power is the use of organic matter as fuel to generate heat and electricity. While biomass has been used as a source of heat since ancient times, modern biomass power plants are typically employed in rural areas where they are often mixed with other renewable sources such as solar and wind. 

Biomass can be burned by itself or co-fired with coal or natural gas. It can also be used to produce bio-ethanol, which can replace fossil fuels in some vehicles.

Clean Methane from Landfill Gas

The gas from landfills is called landfill gas. It is mostly methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. There are 2 main ways to extract clean methane from landfill gas- gasification or liquefaction. 

• Biogasification uses bacteria to break down the organic materials in the landfill and produce natural gas, which can then be used as fuel or converted into electricity with a generator. 

• Liquefaction uses heat to separate the methane and other gases from the landfill gas, which can then be used as fuel or converted into electricity with a generator.

Fuel Cells

Fuel cells are a type of battery that converts hydrogen into electricity. To generate power, fuel cells have an anode and a cathode where the hydrogen is fed into the anode side and oxygen is fed into the cathode side. The electrons from the hydrogen atoms get stripped off in a process called oxidation and then these electrons flow through the wire to produce electricity. Water vapor (H2O) leaves through the cathodes as it turns back into the water (H2O). The only byproduct of fuel cells is heated, which can be used for different purposes such as heating buildings or cooking food.