Renewable Energy Solutions

ReEnSol

The key to creating a cleaner energy future is in renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

 This Web site describes what renewable energy is, the technologies involved and also provides information on energy efficiency and various applications of renewable energy. 

View a short video (02:34) about the possible world wide uses of solar energy.

Renewable Energy Basics

The United States currently relies heavily on coal, oil, and natural gas for its energy. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable, that is, they draw on limited resources that will eventually dwindle, becoming too expensive or too environmentally damaging to retrieve. In contrast, renewable energy resources—such as wind and solar energy—are constantly replenished and will never run out.

There are several sources of renewable energy. Wind and solar as mentioned above are probably the most recognizable. Other important sources are Bio-mass, hydrogen, geothermal and hydro-power. The most important one that is often overlooked is efficiency.

We have briefly described each Renewable Energy Solution below. Please follow the supplied links for more information on the solution that interests you most. For quickest results at the minimum cost you should check out Efficiency first.

Solar      

Most renewable energy comes either directly or indirectly from the sun. Sunlight, or solar energy, can be used directly for heating and lighting homes and other buildings, for generating electricity, and for hot water heating, solar cooling, and a variety of commercial and industrial uses.

Wind  

The sun's heat also drives the winds, whose energy is captured with wind turbines. Then, the winds and the sun's heat cause water to evaporate. When this water vapor turns into rain or snow and flows downhill into rivers or streams, its energy can be captured using hydro power.

Bio-mass  

Along with the rain and snow, sunlight causes plants to grow. The organic matter that makes up those plants is known as biomass. Biomass can be used to produce electricity, transportation fuels, or chemicals. The use of biomass for any of these purposes is called bio-mass energy.

Hydrogen  

Hydrogen also can be found in many organic compounds, as well as water. It's the most abundant element on the Earth. But it doesn't occur naturally as a gas. It's always combined with other elements, such as with oxygen to make water. Once separated from another element, hydrogen can be burned as a fuel or converted into electricity.

Geothermal

  Not all renewable energy resources come from the sun. Geothermal energy taps the Earth's internal heat for a variety of uses, including electric power production, and the heating and cooling of buildings. And the energy of the ocean's tides comes from the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun upon the Earth.

Hydro power    

Flowing water creates energy that can be captured and turned into electricity. This is called hydroelectric power or hydro power. NREL doesn't perform any research in hydroelectric power technologies. For more information on hydroelectric power, see the Hydro power basics from the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind and Hydro power Technologies Program.

Efficiency
Simply stated; do what you normally do, just think about it first. Can you make less trips to the store? Can you drop off the library books on the way? Can you turn off the faucet as you brush your teeth? Can you wait for the washer to be full before starting the next load? It’s all about thinking a step ahead and simply being more efficient. And you will even save money doing it.