Non-Renewable energy has been used since the early 1800’s, but the use of fossil fuels such as coal and oil are slowly damaging our planet. Environmental pollution, caused due to the burning of non-renewable products, releasing CO₂ into the atmosphere is one of the biggest side effects of using fossil fuels. Change needs to happen.
Renewable energy has grown ten-fold since 2004 in the UK, with the goal to achieve 90% of world-wide renewable energy usage by 2050. By harnessing the power from natural resources, we can reduce our carbon emissions and there decrease our contribution to global warming and our carbon footprint.
But where do we get our renewable energy from?
The UK uses 4 main renewable energy sources to generate power:
Solar Power: Solar Power is the conversion of energy derived from the sun into power, where both heat and electricity are generated. Individuals all over the UK can utilise Solar Power, through the installation of Solar Panels to the use of Solar Farms. Solar Power helps reduce your carbon footprint as not only do the last around 25 years, but all materials are also highly recyclable so your carbon footprint will continue to reduce.
Wind Power: Wind Power contributes to around 26% of the UK’s energy generation, including both onshore and offshore wind. Offshore wind power will play an essential role in our move to renewable energy, as it is a constant energy source where the conversion into power generates no greenhouse gases, however the construction process of this can be complex and more expensive than Onshore wind farms. Onshore wind power is a more cost-efficient power generator with quicker installation and maintenance processes, however the change in wind speeds as well as intermittent wind affects the overall generation of electricity.
Bioenergy: Bioenergy plays an important role in the decarbonisation of our Energy System. It is a renewable energy source gained from the extraction of energy from organic matters. The use of biomass to produce energy has been around for centuries e.g. burning wood for heat, and although a release of Carbon into the atmosphere is apparent, the effects of this are not as detrimental as burning fossil fuels.
Hydro Power: Hydro Power is power generated due to the disruption to the flow of water. The use of dams and diversion structures is one of the most environmentally friendly methods of energy production, and more sustainable than other methods of renewable energy due to the fact it relies solely on the never-ending water cycle.
The increased use of these 4 renewable energy sources will dramatically reduce our carbon emissions, decreasing the overall effects of global warming, helping us achieve 90% renewable energy usage by 2050.