Renewable Energy: An Industrial Revolution 1 | Page 2

Sources for Renewable Energy
Most of the countries in the world continue to rely majorly on coal, oil, and natural gas
for energy. Fossil fuels are all nonrenewable, which means that such resources are scarce and
eventually will dwindle, either becoming too expensive or too environmentally damaging to
recover. In contrast, the contemporary way is to go for renewable energy resources.
The major renewable sources are solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, hydrogen, ocean and
hydropower. These energy sources are constantly replenished and will never be depleted.

Solar
The major source for renewable energy comes either directly or indirectly from the sun.
Solar energy, or sunlight, is used directly for heating and lighting homes, buildings, offices, etc.,
for generating electricity, solar cooling, hot water heating, and a variety of commercial and
industrial uses.

Wind
Wind energy is actually a process, whereby the heat emitted by sun drives the wind. The
energy released by the wind is captured via wind turbines. Another factor that contributes to the
winds is the rotation of the Earth, especially through the Coriolis Effect.

Biomass
Sunlight causes plants to grow, along with the rain and snow. The organic matter that is
utilized in developing such plants is called biomass. Biomass is a great source to produce