Renewable energy has a lot of advantages when it is used. Renewable energy can provide many immediate environmental benefits by avoiding air pollution, water pollution, preserves wild and plant life and it does not create toxic wastes and does not result in global warming. Global warming, water and air pollution, threats to animal life and plant life are only among a few of the effects of using nuclear fuels or fossil fuels such as coals, oils and natural gasses. There are also disadvantages to using renewable energy; however its negative effects are minimal as compared to the damaging effects of the use of nuclear fuel and fossil fuels. However, proper precaution should still be taken to manage the negative effects of renewable energy.
6 types of renewable energy exist and these are Hydropower, Wind Power, Biomass, Biofuel, Solar Energy and Geothermal energy. The largest known source of renewable energy is Hydropower and most countries get 10% of their energy for electricity from it. Hydropower is where flow of water is used to create renewable energy. The flow of water is the source of hydropower and rivers are the most common bodies of water used to garner energy. Pollution is not caused by this type of renewable energy, although it may alter the quality of water and can pose a threat to some wild life, particularly fish.
Natural air flow is used to create Wind Power. To convert air flow to wind power, wind mills or wind turbines are used.
Biomass is one of the types of renewable energy that gets its source of energy from the sun through photosynthesis. Biomass comes from a plant matter used to produce heat and electricity. Biofuel is the type of energy that is produced by Biomass.
The most popular type of renewable energy is Solar Energy. Photovoltaics (PV) is a process in which energy from the sun is directly harnessed and solar radiation is then converted into direct current electricity.
Geothermal energy is the type of renewable energy directly harnessed from the earth itself. Steam and hot water from beneath the earth's surface produces this type of renewable energy. It is the most cost effective among the types of renewable energy and is also the most reliable.
