31+ Renewable Energy Examples: Detailed Facts

The energy which can be renewed and replenished again and again is called renewable energy.

There are various sources of renewable energy that are found naturally. We are going to discuss some of the renewable energy examples on this topic. The following is the list of examples of renewable energy:-

Sunlight

The radiations received from the sun are an abundant source of energy.

The energy acquired by the photon of light gives immense energy that can be utilized for various purposes for example, to power up the batteries, to cook food, dry clothes, vessels, and ingredients, and most importantly it provides energy for living creators on the Earth to survive and plants to prepare food.

Oceans Tides

The tides in the rivers and oceans are seen because of the gravitational pull of attraction of the Moon which is the Earth’s own and nearest satellite.

The ocean is a storehouse of potential energy which is converted into mechanical energy due to the formation of tides. This energy is utilized to generate electrical energy using water turbines.

Windmills

Another most important renewable energy source on the earth which is abundantly available too is wind energy. The windmill basically works on the kinetic energy of wind.

The propellers of the windmills are run when the air blows over it and the shaft attached to the propellers starts rotating. This is accelerated by the rotor attached to the shaft and the energy thus generated is converted into electrical energy.

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is the energy derived from underneath the Earth’s surface. The geothermal energy increases down the depth of the Earth.

This is due to the fact that the heat energy is rousing because the overlaying pressure on the layers of the Earth beneath the crust increases at every depth of the layers. Hence, the temperature at the core is highest. This is renewable energy that we find within the Earth’s surface at the depth.

Flow of Water

The flowing river water or the waterfalls is an example of mechanical energy and can be used to run the turbines to drive the energy from the flow of water. The flowing water also carries the sediment and organic matter with it and deposits in the sedimentary basin.

Organic Matter

Organic matter is decomposable matter and can also be a renewable source of energy. The organic remains are decomposed and can be used as manure to grow plants and is a source of energy for humans and animals. The remnant can be used to produce biogas.

Evaporation and Condensation

The sun radiations incident on the surface of the water bodies and wetlands results in the evaporation of the vapors by changing the liquid state of water into the vapor. These evaporated vapors then give out the heat energy into the surrounding region, cool down, condense into the clouds, and flow back to the Earth and the cycle continues.

Gravitational Potential Energy of the Objects

The gravitational energy between the Earth and the moon and the other planets is constant and invariable. As the object is raised to a certain height above the Earth’s surface it gains the gravitational potential energy. This energy is then converted into kinetic energy. The conversion of the kinetic energy to potential energy loops for every object which feels the gravitational attraction over it.

Plants

Plants are also an example of renewable energy.

It uses sunlight and water to produce food and supplies oxygen and even gives out vapor in the process of transpiration. The organic remain of the plants is used to make manure or biogas energy.

Solar Cooker

The solar cookers work on radiations received by the Sun. The heat energy is absorbed by the black coloured panel around the cooker as the black colour completely absorbs the heat energy.

Solar Inverters

The solar inverters are used to convert the direct current supply into the alternating current source that can be used to run the home appliances.

This may not work during nighttime as there are no sun radiations.

Hydro Power Plant

The word ‘hydro’ means water. The power generated from the water is called hydro water. Water is abundantly available on the Earth and is a source of renewable energy that can be replenished for consumption. The water stores the potential energy within it since a huge amount of energy is required to form a bond of hydrogen and oxygen molecules.

Erosion and Deposition

The mechanical energy of the water and the hydrostatic molecular forces results in the erosion of the sand, soil, and rocks surrounding the water bodies, and also the currents of water deposit this debris carried elsewhere along its pathway.

Wind

The wind is caused due to the motion of air from the low temperature region to the high temperature zone. The direction of the wind flow changes depending on the rotation and revolution of the Earth. It is a source of renewable energy and this energy can be utilized to produce energy.

Water Turbines

The water turbines are used to derive the hydropower from the water. The mechanical energy of the water imposes a force on the turbine and sets it into the rotational motion.

These rotations are sustained and intensified by the shaft attached to the rotor. This is converted into electrical energy by the generator.

Solar Cells

The solar cells are charged by the radiations received by the Sun. The energies photons incident on the black body are absorbed and the doped particles become unstable due to the extra energy available and try to migrate towards the oppositely charged particles thus producing the electric flow of charges.

Electrolysis

It is a process of producing the electric current from the chemical solutions. The ends of the two wires are inserted into the solution of two products taken in two different containers. The ions will react with oppositely charged ions moving through the cross-sectional area of the wire thus conducting the electric current flow.

Solar Heaters

The solar heaters are used on cold weather days to keep the rooms warm.

The solar heaters acquire the energy from the day sunlight same as the solar cells. The heat energy absorbed and stored is irradiated out from the body in absence of the sunlight providing the heat energy during the night.

Bio-Methane

Bio-methane is produced by the organic remains of plants and animals during decay. The decay occurs due to the decomposition reaction as the bonds between the molecules break. The energy to break the bond is provided by the incident photons during the sunlight. Thus the production of bio-methane gas is a renewable source of energy.

Windmill in Farms

The rotational energy of the windmill can be used for various purposes. On the farms, the windmills are used to provide electrical energy as well as for water supply, to grind the grains produced in the field, and provide clean air.

Dams

The dams are built to harvest the water that can be used during the scarcity of water in the summer seasons.

As the height of the water stored in the dam increases, its gravitational potential energy also increases. The dam water is also used to produce hydropower and to run turbines.

Solar Generators

The solar generator consists of solar panels which use sun rays to produce electric power. The solar panel gives the direct source of current which is converted into an ac source by passing the dc to the inverter.

Scientific Calculators

The scientific calculators are used to solve complex mathematic calculations. These calculators are fitted with solar cells that get charged upon introducing the calculator to the sunlight.

Radiant Energy

Radiant energy is the energy emitted in the form of waves of different frequencies and wavelengths. The energy absorbed by any object is emitted out in the form of radiations but slightly with greater wavelength and small frequency as compared to the wave incident on the object. Our Earth receives radiant energy from the Sun.

Forest

The forest is a source of food, wood, fuel, shade, and shelter for many animals and birds, proving most of the essentials needed for the living creatures. The forests are also an example of renewable sources of energy.

The Temperature Difference in the Ocean

The temperature of the upper surface of the oceanic water is called sea surface temperature and it depends upon the total radiation energy from the Sun incident on the surface of the water.

As the hydraulic pressure increases down the depth of the water, the penetration of sunlight also decreases at a certain level. Hence, the temperature gradient below the sea surface decreases at every depth and is coolest at the deepest layer. This temperature difference is responsible for oceanic thermal energy.

Oxygen

The oxygen element has a deficiency of two electrons in its outmost shell and forms the strongest bonds with the hydrogen atom. It also reacts easily to form an oxide as it is also the abundant element available on the Earth in the gaseous form.

The living being requires oxygen to survive and is supplied by the green plant while preparing their food during the sunlight. The oxygen can be replenished more quickly by planting more green plants.

Wood

Wood is used to make furniture, for fuel and heat. The fossilized wood turns into coal after millions of years.

The wood is replenishable as we can grow another tree before chopping down the tree for wood in replacement of it. Hence is also an example of renewable energy. We can plant additional trees in order to get wood in the future.

Animals

The animal uses the naturally available resources and provides varieties of resources too. Animals provide us with milk, meat, and other bio-products. The reproductive system in animals continues the fertilization and production process bringing new life to nature.

Fish

Aquaculture, pisciculture, and blue farming are practiced in various parts of the globe.

During the monsoon season, most of the fishes give birth to the new ones that restock the population of the fishes of different species underwater.

Frequently Asked Questions

If wood is renewable why not coal?

The wood is renewable as we can grow a number of trees to obtain wood from the tree.

The fossilized wood produces coal after millions of years which is much longer to produce this sort of energy as compared to the production of wood. As we cannot replenish it quickly it is a non-renewable source of energy.

Is rubber a renewable source?

The rubber is produced from the latex sap rubber tree.

The rubber plants can be planted in more numbers and it is actually made by the condensation of the latex sap coming out on tapping the tree, and hence it is a renewable source.

Is fire renewable or non-renewable?

The fire is generated by rubbing the material made up of highly exciting elements or by applying friction.

The fire once caught will stay till it is supplied with the fuel and oxygen, and then it turns off. Hence it is a non-renewable source of energy.

Is paper renewable or non-renewable?

The paper is biodegradable, sustainable, and can be recycled.

The paper is made from the wood of a plant which is grown in the forest in a large area and hence can be replenished by growing more trees.

Is metal renewable or non-renewable?

The metals are found beneath the earth’s crust in the form of ore and are then separated from the ore using various methods.

The production of the ore from which we can extract the respective metals takes a very long time when it is present beneath the earth’s crust under different pressure and temperature condition, and it cannot be replenished within a short time.

Also, please click to know about 30+ Non Renewable Energy Examples.

Also Read:

• How to determine hydroelectric energy in dam designs
• Light energy light energy examples and uses
• Heat energy to mechanical energy
• Why is energy crucial in artificial intelligence
• Where to find nuclear energy
• How to calculate renewable energy sources
• Sound energy to radiant energy
• Example of kinetic to sound energy
• How to measure energy distribution in blackbody radiation
• How to find energy turned into heat