What is Renewable Energy

For the last twenty years, renewable sources of energy seem to have been on everyone’s mind. Popular figures recommend them, politicians promise dollars for them, and maybe even some of the people you know may have already installed a system in their home. Nonetheless, the idea remains a nebulous term in a way. It’s understandable however. Renewable energy isn’t just one thing like coal or oil is. So many people often ask themselves or others - What is renewable energy?

Simply put - renewable energy is a source of energy, which can be turned into electricity or fuel to be used by an engine that is constantly available. Now obviously, oil and coal are currently available. But in reality they are limited. Some day they will run out. Many people fear that it will be too soon for societies to adapt. It’s actually one reason why renewable energy has become so popular in the first place.

Renewable energy either comes from a source that can’t run out (like the sun for example) or it comes from something that can be reproduced, such as plants that can be converted into biofuel or waste that can be recycled into fuel. These can’t run out for all practical purposes, but you can’t grow more oil.

So why haven’t we always used renewable energy? Well, for one, we kind of have already. Dams are a common source of electricity that have been used for a long time. However, many of the more modern renewable technologies simply weren’t available in the past. No doubt, people have wanted to use the sun’s energy for a long time like a plant does, but there simply wasn’t a way.

Also, for a long time there wasn’t a demand. Many sources of energy such as oil were easily accessible, however now it’s no longer the case and the growing awareness of the environmental damage these energy sources cause has also pushed the demand for cleaner sources of energy.

The same goes for now as well. There are many ideas behind renewable energy but not the technology to harvest energy. Moreover, these systems need to be efficient and scalable to be a replacement for oil and other sources of energy.

However, if they are successful renewable energy will be a massive benefit to everyone who uses it, not only for a healthier world but a more practical and stable use of energy.