On a daily basis, I use energy to watch television, listen to music, cook, take a hot shower, and warm the house. All these activities involve the use of energy, thereby making it a fundamental part of our daily lives.
The sources of energy that I use include electricity, solar power, and natural gas. Renewable energy encompasses energy that is generated from resources that can be replenished naturally such as rain, sun, wind and geothermal heat (Hansen, 2014). Renewable energy sources provide energy that can be used in the generation of electricity, water and air cooling or heating, home energy services, and transportation. Examples of renewable sources of energy include hydroelectricity, wind power, and solar power. Photovoltaic solar power involves harnessing the energy of the sun for the production of electricity.
Ideally, wind power can be harnessed through wind turbines to produce mechanical energy or electricity. On the other hand, hydroelectricity involves producing electricity from hydropower. It is the most popular source of renewable energy due to its reliability. One of the main benefits of renewable energy forms such as solar and hydroelectricity is that they are sustainable. Their environmental impact, such as pollution and waste products, is low and helps in the mitigation of climate change. In this case, the environmental benefits of renewable energy are immense. However, the disadvantage associated with renewable energy is that where and when the resources such as sunshine, wind and rains are not available, the capacity of harnessing their power also becomes unavailable. A typical fossil fuel generator may be used to produce large quantities of electricity when and where it is difficult to harness renewable energy. Natural gas is used for cooking and heating of air and water. It is cheaper but produces greenhouse gasses.
Solar energy remains one of the fastest growing sources of energy and the new technologies used for harnessing solar power continue to grow rapidly (Hansen, 2014). The solar cells are more transportable, efficient, and easy to install. The new technologies that help in the generation of more renewable energy are costly and require immense capital. Some of the techniques that are widely used for saving energy at home include switching off lights when not in use, using efficient heating and cooling system, and installing energy saving appliances and switching them off when they not in use (Hansen, 2014).
Reference
Hansen, P. (2014). Energy technologies and economics. New York: Prentice Hall Press.
