Green Energies – Are They Reliable?

There is a lot of focus placed on renewable energy at the moment due to the attention placed on the environmental impact of our civilization.

Today, many people do not know about the different types of renewable energy sources available and the main differences between them.

Renewable energy is going to have an enormous role in our life in the near future, so it is helpful to know a bit more about the different green energies currently in use.

However, when we talk about reliability, some of the renewable energy sources available on the planet today do not excel at this.

Reliability of Green Energy

The following list, will show the renewable energy sources available today after their reliability.

1. Biomass

Biomass energy is created using organic materials such as plant waste, wood waste, energy crops, used vegetable oil, garbage, domestic and industrial waste, etc.

Burning biomass (wood and plant waste, and also garbage) will create electricity and other forms of energy (heat) releasing a small amount of emissions.

While this is a reliable source of alternative energy due to the fact that plants and trees regrow, and garbage and domestic waste are produced daily, biomass energy can be more expensive than coal-generated electricity.

Coal is one of the cheapest forms of energy available today, but is also the dirtiest and the most harmful (in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and particulate matter released) for people and the environment.

2. Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is the underground heat produced by the inner core of our planet.

Geothermal power reaches the surface under the form of very hot water and steam and is used to produce electricity and residential heating and cooling, being a reliable and one of the most environmentally friendly forms of alternative energy.

The only drawback is that industry growth relies on government subsidies, which are needed to overcome high capital costs.

Hydropower

Hydroelectric energy uses water stored in dams and flowing rivers to create electricity in hydroelectric power plants where you will find flow control engineering.

Hydropower is a promising source of clean electricity because it is the most developed among all renewables and is also more efficient, more reliable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly compared to other forms of energy used today.

It is currently being hindered by several regulations in the field, but in the future, it could represent a major source of clean power for mankind.

Wind Power

One of the more common types of green energy used today is the wind-generated electricity, which is known by many people because is a pretty familiar and widely-used source of clean electricity.

Wind farms are a pretty common thing today because they can be seen in almost every country with potential for wind power.

Wind energy is also considered one of the most reliable sources of renewable energy because it relies on the kinetic power of the wind (wind is produced by the Sun on our planet), which can vary depending on the location, season, time of day, etc.

This could be the reason why wind farms are usually installed in open areas (without natural obstacles such as large buildings, trees, etc.) or on higher ground where the winds are stronger.

Solar Energy

Solar power is another form of green energy used today to produce clean electricity on a large scale (solar farms), and also at residential level by homeowners.

However, solar energy lost some popularity when the UK Government decided to cut incentives for households that want to switch to solar power.

This is because, like wind energy, this type of power is reliant on the weather and not fully reliable, but it can be a good source when used in certain places around the globe.

Conclusion

These are the main types of green energy currently in use on our planet.

As you can see, there are a few drawbacks to these sources of clean power, but they will evolve to become more reliable and more popular in the near future.

It is time for our planet to take action and slow down the environmental impact of our civilization, by increasing the use of green energy and improving environmental protection.