Green energy is the simplest form of renewable energy that has a negligible or zero carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide produced (carbon emissions) upon burning nonrenewable sources of energy. Green energy is generated from various renewable sources of energy. The biggest benefit of using green energy is zero dependencies on fossil fuels and negligible greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, it can create economic development by providing jobs in various sectors, such as manufacturing, energy production, and installation. Read on to know more about the four main types of green energy sources.
- Solar energy
This form of green energy is derived by capturing and storing sunlight. The stored sunlight can be used as fuel to heat or generate electricity. The major component required to store solar energy is PV or photovoltaic cells. One of the major benefits of using solar energy is that it can render fossil fuels obsolete. This is because the supply of solar energy is limitless due to the presence of the Sun. Several tech companies have already started implementing solar energy as the primary power source of their manufacturing process. - Hydroelectric energy
This type of energy is derived when the force of flowing water from dams’ turbines is converted into electricity. Apart from dams, hydroelectric energy can also be derived through rivers by channeling the water to funnel the water flow. One of the greatest benefits of using this form of green energy is that it can be built on a large scale to power an entire industry or a town, depending on its size. - Wind energy
Wind energy can be captured and converted into electricity using wind turbines or windmills. This form of energy can either be used on a smaller scale to supplement pre-existing energy organizations or implemented on a larger scale to power bigger organizations. It is simple to implement and use. Like solar energy, wind energy also does not produce any carbon dioxide or release any harmful byproducts that harm the environment. - Geothermal energy
It is one of the most interesting forms of green energy derived from the heat that is trapped under the earth’s crust for billions of years. The trapped heat is the product of the earth’s natural radioactive decay. The heat escapes the earth’s crust through volcanic eruptions and geysers. The steam from this heat can be captured and used to operate turbines that generate electricity. One of the biggest advantages of using geothermal energy is that it can be built underground, leaving a negligible or zero carbon footprint on land.
Limitations of using green energy
While green energy holds a lot of promise, it does come with limitations. With current technological advancements, the greatest challenge in using green energy is its storage capabilities. Although green energy promises huge savings post-installation, its higher upfront cost makes it difficult to be implemented on a larger scale. Apart from this, the geographical limitations make it difficult to use all types of green energy worldwide.