What is renewable energy?
Renewable energy is any type of energy that comes from natural resources that can be replenished, such as sunlight, wind, rainwater, geothermal heat, waves, or tides.
Renewable energy is the future of energy production. It is a sustainable, clean, and renewable source of energy that is free from pollution. These energy sources include solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, and biomass.
The use of renewable resources has been in practice for many years now. But, it is only recently that this form of energy has become more popular and beneficial. Because, it has become cheaper and more efficient than fossil fuels.
The reason for this is that renewable energy has become much more affordable in recent years. Also, it has become a cost-effective alternative to fossil fuels.
Listing are the renewable energy sources.
- Solar power
- Wind power
- Geothermal power
- Hydroelectric power
- Biomass
The most popular renewable energy source used today is solar power because it’s cheaper than other sources of renewable energy. And because its technology has improved significantly over the past few years.
What is non-renewable energy?
Non-renewable energy sources are those that are not replenished by natural processes. These sources of energy include coal, oil, and natural gas. The use of non-renewable energy sources such as coal, oil, and natural gas is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. These sources are also limited in supply and cannot be replaced when they are depleted. Hence these sources of energy are not sustainable.
What are the difference between renewable and non renewable energy?
| # | Renewable Energy | Non-Renewable Energy |
| 01 | Renewable energy comes from natural resources that will never run out. | Non-Renewable energy comes from natural resources that will run out. |
| 02 | There are low carbon emissions and low carbon footprints associated with most renewable energy sources. | The carbon footprint and carbon emissions associated with non-renewable energy are comparatively greater. |
| 03 | Renewable energy comes from natural resources (such as sunlight, water, wind, geothermal heat, and tides). | Non-Renewable energy comes from resources such as fossil fuels ( for example, coal, petroleum, natural gas, etc.). |
| 04 | There is a high upfront cost associated with renewable energy. | The upfront cost of non-renewable energy is relatively lower. |
| 05 | The cost of developing infrastructure to harvest renewable energy is high. | There is accessible and cost-effective infrastructure available for non-renewable energy sources. |
| 06 | An extensive land or ocean area is necessary (for the development of wind farms and solar farms). | Area requirements are relatively lower. |
The above comparison has covered all the basic concepts of renewable vs non renewable energy sources.
The future of renewable energy is in our hands. It will be up to us whether we continue to use fossil fuels as our main source of energy or if we switch to more sustainable sources like as solar, wind, and geothermal.
Why do we need renewable energy in the future?
There are many reasons to use renewable energy in the future.
- One of them would be the environmental benefits and importance it provides. Renewable energy doesn’t harm the environment because it doesn’t emit any harmful gases which can cause air pollution or global warming.
- Another reason would be its affordability in comparison to other types of energy extracted from coal or oil. Because, it’s not as expensive as they are since they require a lot of money for exploration and production.
Read more related articles:
- Advantages of fossil fuels | Benefits & Uses
- Disadvantages of fossil fuels | Uses
- On-grid system vs Off-grid system
- Best solar panel
- Thermal power plant
- Pros & Cons of Thermal Power Plant
- Pros & Cons of Diesel Power Plant
- Pros & Cons of Nuclear Power Plant
- Hydroelectric Power Plant
He is a research scholar at Aligarh Muslim University, India. His research interests include power electronics, electric vehicles, and bio signal analysis. He loves writing, traveling, and gardening in his free time.