Renewable Energy
Solar | Wind
| Biomass | Geothermal
| Hydrogen
The United States currently relies heavily on coal,
oil, and natural gas for its energy. These fossil fuels are nonrenewable,
that is, they draw on finite resources that will eventually dwindle,
becoming
too expensive or too environmentally damaging to retrieve. In contrast,
renewable energy resources such as wind and solar energy are constantly
replenished and will never run out. Most renewable energy comes either
directly or indirectly from the sun. For more detailed information, please
see the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) Learning About Renewable Energy.
Solar
Solar technologies use the sun's energy and light to provide heat, light,
hot water, electricity, and even cooling, for homes, businesses, and industry.
Find more information on Solar
Energy on our Energy Links page.
Wind
Wind energy uses the energy in the wind for practical purposes like generating
electricity, charging batteries, pumping water, or grinding grain.
Find more information on Wind Energy
on our Energy Links page.
Biomass
In a process called "photosynthesis", plants capture sunlight
and transform it into chemical energy. This energy may then be converted
into electricity, heat, or liquid fuels using a number of different energy
conversion processes. The organic resources that are used to produce energy
using these processes are collectively called "biomass".
Find more information on Biomass
on our Energy Links page.
Geothermal
Geothermal energy technologies use the heat of the earth for direct-use
applications, geothermal heat pumps, and electrical power production.
Find more information on Geothermal
on our Energy Links page.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the third most abundant element on the earth's surface, where
it is found primarily in water (H²O) and organic compounds. It is
generally produced from hydrocarbons or water; and when burned as a fuel,
or converted to electricity, it joins with oxygen to again form water.
Find more information on Hydrogen
on our Energy Links page.
Distributed Energy Generation
Distributed energy generation is modular electric generation or storage
located near the point of use. Distributed renewable power systems include
biomass-based generators, concentrating solar power and photovoltaic systems,
fuel cells, wind turbines, microturbines, and storage and control technologies.
Find more information on Renewable
Energy on our Energy Links page.
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