RENEWABLE RESOURCES

Renewable Resources

Renewable Resources

Introduction

A renewable resource is a natural resource that can be restored by natural processes at a rate similar to or greater than the consumption by humans. The solar radiation, the tides, the wind and hydropower are perpetual resources that are safe to run out the in long term. Renewable resources also include materials such as wood, paper, leather, etc., if they are harvested in a sustainable manner.

Some renewable resources such as geothermal energy, the fresh water, wood and biomass should be handled carefully to avoid exceeding the regenerative capacity of the world. It is necessary to estimate the capacity for renewal (sustainability) of such resources. Products such as gasoline, coal, natural gas, diesel and other products derived from fossil fuels are not renewable or do not have sustainability. They differ from renewable resources because they can have sustainable productivity, i.e. they are inexhaustible.

Solar Energy

The solar energy is derived directly from the sun. Along with nuclear energy, it is the most abundant energy source on Earth. The type of alternative energy, developing at a faster rate is that of the photoelectric cell which converts sunlight directly to electricity at 50% per year. The sun provides 10,000 times more energy that humans use in the present.

Solar energy manifests itself as low or high temperature solar heat, wind electricity, and photovoltaics (PV) (Quaschning, 2005). The development of solar power systems as an alternative source of electricity could play significant complementary roles in providing isolated power systems in remote regions for lighting, water-pumping stations, communications packages, or medical equipment in hospitals. On a larger scale, solar energy could be used to run vehicles, power plants, and spaceships. Solar energy also helps create other renewable energy resources, such as the distribution of precipitation for water that is tapped by hydroelectric projects and for ...