Top 7 Renewable Resources of Fuel Energy

Renewable energy, often referred to as clean energy, comes from natural sources or processes that are constantly replenished. For example, sunlight or wind keep shining and blowing, even if their availability depends on time and weather.

There’re ample renewable resources known to us, which are used for producing electricity and fuel energy. However, the functional availability and cost-effectiveness of using those resources differ from one another.

The article covers a brief brochure on the seven most renewable resources of fuel energy:

1 . Wind Energy

Wind energy (or wind power) describes the process of creating electricity using the wind, or air flows that occur naturally in the earth's atmosphere. Modern wind turbines are used to capture kinetic energy from the wind and generate electricity.

People used wind energy to propel boats along the Nile River as early as 5,000 BC. By 200 BC, simple wind-powered water pumps were used in China, and windmills with woven-reed blades were grinding grain in Persia and the Middle East. New ways to use wind energy eventually spread around the world.

Pros and cons of wind energy

Wind energy is one of the most commonly used types of renewable energy. Also, it happens to be one of our fastest-growing sources of electricity. However, while there are several environmental benefits to using wind energy, there are some downsides. Here are a few of the top pros and cons:

Pros of wind energy	Cons of wind energy
Renewable & clean source of energy	Intermittent
Low operating costs	Noise and visual pollution
Efficient use of land space	Some adverse environmental impact

Cost Effective:
Wind power is cost-effective, according to official source Land-based utility-scale wind is one of the lowest-priced energy sources available today, costing 1–2 cents per kilowatt-hour after the production tax credit.

Top uses of wind Energy:

• Generating electricity
• Milling grain
• Pumping water
• powering cargo ships (via kites)
• Reducing carbon footprint

   .2. Solar Energy

Solar power is energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy. Solar energy is the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy source available, and China has the richest solar resources in the world.

In theory, solar energy was used by humans as early as 7th century B.C. when history tells us that humans used sunlight to light fires with magnifying glass materials. However, in 1839, French physicist Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect while experimenting with a cell made of metal electrodes in a conducting solution. He noted that the cell produced more electricity when it was exposed to light.

Pros and cons of solar energy

Solar is a revolutionary energy solution for property owners of any type, but like any energy decision, choosing to go solar has various advantages and disadvantages you should keep in mind. Of all the common benefits and drawbacks that come with going solar, here are a few of the ones that consistently rise to the top:

PROS OF SOLAR ENERGY	CONS OF SOLAR ENERGY
Lower your electric bill	Doesn't work for every roof type
Improve the value of your home	Not ideal if you're about to move
Reduce your carbon footprint	Buying panels can be expensive
Combat rising electricity costs	Low electricity costs = lower savings
Earn money back on your investment	Finding local solar installers can be difficult

Cost effective

The report said the sustained and dramatic decline in the cost of electricity from utility-scale solar PV continued in 2018, with a fall in the global weighted-average Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE) of solar PV to $0.085 per Kilowatt Hour (kWh) – 13 per cent lower than for projects commissioned in 2017.

Top uses of solar energy:

• Solar Electricity
• Solar Water Heating
• Solar Heating
• Solar Ventilation
• Solar Lighting
• Portable Solar
• Solar Transportation

3. Biomass energy

Biomass energy is energy generated or produced by living or once-living organisms. The most common biomass materials used for energy are plants, such as corn and soy. The energy from these organisms can be burned to create heat or converted into electricity.

Biomass has been used as a source of heat energy since man first discovered fire. Many people around the world still burn wood as their primary source of heat during the winter. The use of biofuels such as ethanol has been around for some time as well. It was used as lamp fuel in the United States in the 1800s.

Pros and cons of Biomass energy

There are both advantages and pitfalls of utilizing biomass for energy. Here are a few to keep in mind:

Pros of biomass	Cons of biomass
Renewable	High costs
Waste reduction	Space requirements
Reliability	Some adverse environmental impact

Cost Effective:

The Levelized cost of energy for this system would be $0.08 to $0.15 per kWh, but this could increase significantly with fuel costs. Today, biomass provides us over four percent of the energy we use. It has been replaced by coal, natural gas, petroleum, and other energy sources. There are many sources of biomass used today. Two sources, wood and biofuels, make up the majority of consumption.

Top uses of Biomass energy:

• Automobile fuel
• Space heating
• Hot water heating
• Electricity generation

4. Geothermal energy

Geothermal energy is heat within the earth. It’s a renewable energy source because heat is continuously produced inside the earth. People use geothermal heat for bathing, to heat buildings, and to generate electricity. Hot springs, lava, and fumaroles are natural examples of geothermal energy.

There is evidence that Native Americans used geothermal energy for cooking as early as 10,000 years ago. In 1904. Prince Piero Ginori Conti invents the first geothermal power plant at the Larderello dry steam field in Tuscany, Italy.

Pros and cons of geothermal energy

Geothermal energy comes with some key advantages and disadvantages. Here are a few to keep in mind:

Pros of geothermal energy	Cons of geothermal energy
Reliable source of power	Location dependent
Small land footprint	High initial costs
Usable for large and small-scale installations	Can lead to surface instability

Cost Effective:

Operating and maintenance costs range from $0.01 to $0.03 per kWh. Most geothermal power plants can run at greater than 90% availability. Geothermal energy is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Geothermal power plants have average availabilities of 90% or higher, compared to about 75% for coal plants.

Top uses geothermal energy:

• Electricity production
• Heating buildings
• Food dehydration
• Gold mining
• Milk pasteurizing.

       5. Tidal energy

Tidal energy is a renewable energy powered by the natural rise and fall of ocean tides and currents. Some of these technologies include turbines and paddles.

Tidal energy was discovered in the year of 1966 in the area of La Rance, River, France. M. Jannaschii discovered Tidal Energy by simply watching the tides and the power of waves. During the 20th century, engineers developed ways to use tidal movement to generate electricity in areas where there is a significant tidal range—the difference in area between high tide and low tide. All methods use special generators to convert tidal energy into electricity.

Image courtesy NG

Pros and cons of Tidal energy

Like all energy sources, tidal power comes with its own set of benefits and drawbacks. Here are the main tidal energy pros and cons:

Pros of Tidal energy	Cons  of Tidal energy
Renewable	Limited site availability
Zero-carbon emissions	Expensive
Predictable energy generation	Environmental impact

Cost Effective:

Tidal energy has been consistently cited for its energy potential. In the UK for example, it has been suggested that tidal could make up as much as 12% of the country's energy mix. However, when compared to other renewables such as wind and solar, tidal is expensive, leading many to proclaim it is not worth pursuing.

Top uses of Tidal energy:

• Generation of Electricity.
• Mechanical crushing of grains

6. Hydro energy

Hydroelectric energy, also called hydroelectric power or hydroelectricity, is a form of energy that harnesses the power of water in motion—such as water flowing over a waterfall—to generate electricity.

People have used this force for millennia. Over two thousand years ago, people in Greece used flowing water to turn the wheel of their mill to ground wheat into flour.

Hydropower became an electricity source in the late 19th century, a few decades after British-American engineer James Francis developed the first modern water turbine. In 1882, the world's first hydroelectric power plant began operating in the United States along the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Pros and cons of Hydro energy

Hydropower has been the most widely-used renewable energy source of electricity for many years, and as with any energy choice, it comes with various advantages and disadvantages.

Pros of hydro energy	Cons of hydro energy
Renewable energy source	Some adverse environmental impact
Pairs well with other renewables	Expensive up-front
Can meet peak electricity demand	Lack of available reservoirs

Cost Effective:

Hydropower offers the lowest levelized cost of electricity across all major fossil fuel and renewable energy sources, and costs even less than energy efficiency options, according to a recent study from (ACORE). Large hydropower projects typically ranges from USD 0.02 to USD 0.19/kWh assuming a 10 % cost of capital, making the best hydropower power projects the most cost competitive generating option available today.

Top uses of Hydro energy:

• Electricity generation
• Storing energy

  7. Bio-solar panel Energy (Bio-panel)

Artificial photosynthesis technology

Biological photovoltaic (BPV) is an energy-generating technology which uses oxygenic photoautotrophic organisms, or fractions thereof, to harvest light energy and produce electrical power. The most common example of bio-solar energy is artificial photosynthesis technology.

Artificial photosynthesis was first anticipated by the Italian chemist Giacomo Ciamician during 1912. In a lecture that was later published in Science he proposed a switch from the use of fossil fuels to radiant energy provided by the sun and captured by technical photochemistry devices.

Pros and cons of Bio-solar energy

Bio-panel is a revolutionary energy solution for property owners of any type, but like any energy decision, choosing to go Bio-solar has various advantages and disadvantages you should keep in mind. Here are the main Bio-solar energy pros and cons:

Pros of Bio-solar energy	Cons of Bio-solar energy
Produce Storable fuel E.g. H, & CH₃OH fuel	Short life span
Less time consuming	Initial cost effective
Easily renewable	Requires multiple methods

Cost Effective:

Although it is not yet entirely cost efficient, scientists have been successful in creating an artificial leaf that is 10 times more effective than a natural leaf, retaining 10% of solar energy it is exposed to as opposed to the natural leaf's 1% retention rate.

Because artificial photosynthesis is a newer technology, DOE's cost targets for hydrogen produced by those devices are not as aggressive. The goal is to reach $7.00 per kilogram produced by artificial leaves by 2020, says Sunita Satyapal, director of the Fuel Cell Technologies Office.

Top uses of Bio-solar energy:

• Storable fuel Production
• Caron capture technology
• Energy-dense sugar production
• Hydrogen production.
• Methanol production
• Oxygen gas production