RENEWABLE ENERGY ESSAY

The International Energy Agency explains: Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, water and geothermal heat, which are renewable (naturally refilled). Taking into account its origin we can distinguish between:
-Solar energy: is the energy derived from the sun through the form of solar radiation. We usually use solar cells.
-Wind power: Areas where winds are stronger and more constant are preferred locations for wind farms.
-Hydropower: energy in water can also be used (oceans, dams, etc).
-Biomass: it comes from plant materials.
-Biofuel: it is usually either bioalcohol such as bioethanol or oil such as biodiesel.
-Geothermal energy: it is obtained from the heat of the earth.
Renewable energy replaces conventional fuels in four distinct areas:
1.Power generation: renewable energy provides 18% of total electricity generation worldwide. Renewable power generators are spread across many countries and wind power alone already provides a significant share of electricity in some areas. In fact, some countries get most of their power from renewable energies.
2.solar hot water heating systems: Most of these systems are installed on multi-family apartment buildings. Worldwide, total installed solar water heating systems meet a portion of the water heating needs of over 70 million households. The use of biomass for heating continues to grow as well. Direct geothermal for heating is also growing rapidly.
3.Transport fuels: Renewable biofuels have contributed to a significant decline in oil consumption in the USA since 2006. The 93 billion litres of biofuels produced worldwide in 2009 displaced the equivalent of an estimated 68 billion litres of gasoline, equal to about 5% of world gasoline production.
4.Rural energy services.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SPAIN
Renewable energies in Spain represented 12% of total energy generation in 2009. Spain has set the target of generating 20% of its energy needs from renewable energy sources by 2020. Some autonomous regions in Spain lead Europe in the use of renewable energy generation in a few years.
Spain is the third biggest producer of wind power, after the USA and Germany, with an installed capacity of 16,740 megawatts at the end of 2008. More than the 11% of Spain’s electricity came from wind power in 2008. The largest producer of wind energy in Spain is Iberdrola.
In 2005 Spain became the first country in the world to require the installation of photovoltaic electricity generation in new buildings, and the second in the world to require the installation of solar hot water heating systems. Spain was also the first country to ever have a commercial solar energy power tower (it is located near Sevilla).
What use do you do of energy? Do you use renewable energies?

By Hermi