What is renewable resources examples

The effectiveness of renewable energy depends upon the resource being used. Some renewable sources are more readily available and effective than others, while some, such as geothermal are of great use in some locations and not in others due to accessibility.

Iceland, for example, has ample geothermal resources, while places like the highlands of Scotland are well-suited to wind power. In other areas, solar energy is best suited while the United States has invested in hydroelectric power. Each type of renewable energy has benefits and drawbacks, often related to supply, meaning that the best solution is often to use a variety of types of resource in together.

A study of nations around the world found that Germany uses the highest amount of renewable energy with This was followed by the UK Clearly, much work needs to be done to increase these usage rates in order to reach a completely renewable future, but this need is driving industry forward and creating opportunities in this sector.

Renewable energy sources will not run out — at least not for many millions of years in the case of the sun, for example. They provide a viable alternative to non-renewable resources, such as fossil fuels while many are also environmentally friendly and produce little of no CO2.

The hope is that renewable energy will one day replace fossil fuels. There is a finite amount of coal and oil on the planet, so these will eventually run out. This means that the future needs to be renewable. In addition the environmental benefits of a clean, green and renewable energy future are becoming increasingly obvious as global warming continues.

To fully replace fossil fuels, there will be a need to continue innovating renewable energy solutions. In addition, there is every likelihood that renewable sources will need to be used in conjunction with one-another to provide a steady supply.

There is a requirement for cleaner methods of production and improved power management and storage. While a totally renewable future is possible, there is still much work to be done before the world is ready to dispense with fossil fuels completely.

Renewable energy looks set to be a large part of the future energy mix, along with other clean sources such as nuclear power. The drive towards a greener future for power production is promoting a rise in job creation in renewable power industries such as solar and wind.

This trend looks set to continue as governments strive to reach net zero. Clean energy is energy that comes from renewable, zero emission sources that do not pollute the atmosphere when used. Green energy is any energy type that is generated from natural resources, such as sunlight, wind or water.

A hydrogen fuel cell uses the chemical energy of hydrogen to produce electricity. Support for SMEs. Software Products. Go to Technical knowledge Search. Login Login. Members' Portal. What is Renewable Energy? Contents Click the links below to skip to the relevant section in the guide: Development Types Benefits Disadvantages Frequently asked questions Summary. TWI TWI has a wealth of expertise in renewable energy sectors such as hydro power, solar power and wind energy. The Development of Renewable Energy Although renewable energy is often seen as a solution for the future of our power needs, we have been harnessing the natural power of nature for centuries.

Types There area range of renewable sources that have been developed, with each offering their own advantages and challenges depending on factors such as geographical location, requirements for use and even the time of year.

Wind Power Wind energy works much like old-fashioned windmills did, by using the power of the wind to turn a blade. Biomass Energy Biomass energy uses organic material from plants and animals, including crops, trees, and waste wood. Read our complete guide on geothermal energy 7. A renewable energy resource is any source of power that is naturally replenished on a human time scale. Renewable energy resources are great alternatives to fossil fuels, as they are less damaging to the environment and in some cases are more cost effective to harvest and use.

Many corporations, utilities, and homeowners are already making the transition to clean, renewable energy. Depending on your energy needs, the type of renewable energy resource best fit for you will vary.

For example, solar energy is a great option for individual property owners, while wind and hydropower are more suitable for utilities. Solar energy is energy from the sun. By capturing this solar energy, we can convert it to forms used for generating electricity, heating water, and heating and cooling your home.

Wind energy is captured by massive wind turbines that use the force of flowing air to spin and generate electricity. While not popular for residential, small energy systems, many utilities around the country have been installing wind farms to supply power to the electrical grid. Even more recently, certain companies have invested in offshore wind farms built out in the ocean, where wind currents are strong and there is plenty of available space to build.

Similar to wind power, hydropower is a popular renewable energy resource for utilities. By building a dam and blocking a flowing river, hydropower plants divert the flowing water to spin turbines and generate electricity. Coal is non-renewable not only because the process of its creation took millions of years, but also because the climate on earth was completely different at that time. This means that we cannot replicate the same conditions to encourage creation of new coal reserves, and the deposits we have been overexploiting since the last century are quickly running out.

According to the information from the World Coal Association, at our current rates of consumption, we have enough coal for the next years [9].

Other sources mention years or even less [10]. To predict how much coal is left in the world is not an easy task because of many factors we need to take into account. One of them is for example the increase in demand of many fast-growing economies such as China or the United States.

In the end, one thing is inevitable — we cannot rely on coal much longer because sooner or later the deposits will run out. Oil is probably one of the most well-known non-renewable resources alongside coal. It is a liquid fossil fuel made up of fossilized animals possibly even dinosaurs thousands of years ago. When extracting oil from the ground, it comes out in the form of black crude oil. Crude oil is then refined into different products we use on a daily basis such as gasoline, diesel fuel or heating oil [11].

Given that only in the United States an average of about Already at this moment, scientists estimate that oil is probably the least abundant fossil fuel , which is likely to run out fairly soon. Peat, commonly found in the UK, Ireland or Finland, is a soft organic material consisting of partly decayed plant matter together with deposited minerals [12].

Peat can be dried out and used as fuel but it is also an important raw material in horticulture and for potting. Some peat industry representatives and academics believe that peat is a slowly renewable resource, but in reality, a peat bog takes thousands and thousands of years to form. So, if one considers the rate at which peat is being used either for energy or as a growing medium, then it is evident that it is not a renewable resource.

Peat bogs are considered such important parts of our ecosystems that in most countries they are protected or considered conservation areas. You may have heard the ongoing debate over the renewability of nuclear power. While some people claim that nuclear power on its own perfectly fits the definition of a renewable source of energy, it is uranium, the commonly used nuclear fuel, which does not fit into the scheme. Uranium is a radioactive element found in low amounts within all rocks on earth.

It is a non-renewable resource because of its cosmic origin. The isotopes of uranium were formed 6. Nuclear power plants use only one isotope of uranium U for fuel because its atoms are easily split apart. To get this naturally rare isotope, uranium ore has to be mined in large amounts and undergo the process of enrichment.

After that, this resource is likely to run out [14]. The eternal symbol of wealth and power. This yellow shining metal has enchanted many great rulers in the history, and gave reasons to countless crimes, as if people have always known that there is something special about this precious metal.

It was created from the collisions of neutron stars when our solar system was formed [15]. Knowing the cosmic origin of gold offers probably a good-enough explanation why this resource is not renewable. Our history of using gold reaches as far as the rule of Egyptian pharaohs some 3, years B. Even today, around 2, tons of new gold are mined every year.

Gold is widely used in the medicine as well. Besides being a part of various treatments such as of tuberculosis or arthritis, it has been lately tested as a possible cure to cancer [16]. While we keep increasing our dependence on gold, the natural reserves of this resource are thinning.

It is only a matter of time until we hit that final deposit. Aluminum is the key resource for meeting a lot of our societal needs. From packaging to making parts of automobile or railway cars, aluminum is a very versatile material. Even though aluminum is the most abundant metal on Earth and one of the most common elements in the universe [17] , it is still considered a non-renewable resource, as it does not get replenished on its own like for example timber does.

Unlike gold, aluminum started to be abundantly used in the late 19th century, but it did not take us long to catch up with exploiting this resource. According to statistics, the demand for aluminum has grown thousand times just in the span of two years between and [18].

The positive news is that as the aluminum industry keeps booming, so do the recycling programs. To our advantage, aluminum can be fully recycled , which enables us to use this resource repeatedly and more efficiently. Being the third most used natural resource after air and water, sand is an essential material to sustain our way of life. But unlike air and water, sand is a non-renewable resource. In the nature, sand is made of different minerals and rock sediments that are broken into tiny fragments after being battered by the elements for thousands of years.

Nowadays, 40 billion metric tons of sand and gravel are extracted every year for the construction industry, glass manufacturing, and other uses such as land reclamation or oil exploration [19]. In fact, nearly all built structures contain sand in some form. Every house, large shopping mall or paved road is made with concrete, which is a mixture of gravel, sand, cement and water. With more and more urban development projects, our need for this resource is not likely to stop any time soon.

If we do not tackle the problem and focus on sustainable use of this resource from this moment, we might be forced to look for alternatives to sand very soon. This metal can be also found in the composition of the sun and stars, so we can say that it is a common element in the universe.

We even have it in our blood literally. But from the perspective of a resource, iron belongs to the category of non-renewable resources because it does not get naturally replenished. Throughout the history, we have made diverse objects from iron, including swords, dishes, or other daily-use items.

Even these days, 90 percent of metal entering our refineries is iron. Iron is for example used to make stainless steel. We are all familiar with stainless steel cutlery or skillets.