A renewable resource is one that replaces itself naturally at a rate equal to or greater than human consumption. The term generally refers to renewable energies, which are self-sustaining over time. There are five main types of renewable resources, solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal and biomass. Many countries today are increasing their use of renewable energies to replace fossil fuels, such as coal and petroleum, which take thousands and sometimes millions of years to replace themselves, making them non-renewable resources.
Solar Power
Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into usable energy. It's done using solar panels which convert the sun's light and radiation into electricity. Solar energy has extremely high potential because it is extremely available. According to the science journal "Nature," the sun provides Earth with more energy in a single hour than humans use in a year.
Wind Power
Wind power is the conversion of airflow into usable energy using turbines. Wind power has a high potential because it is clean and can be collected on land or offshore. A Harvard University study found that a land-based network of 2.5 megawatt wind turbines operating at 20 percent of their capacity could supply 40 times more electricity than is annually used worldwide.
Hydropower
Large dams convert the energy of large bodies of moving water into hydroelectricity. Hydropower potential is high in the U.S. because of its vast amounts of lakes and rivers. The Idaho National Laboratory reports that five states have the potential to produce 2,000 or more megawatts of hydroelectricity.
Geothermal Power
Historically, geothermal power collected from the Earth's internal heat has been collected along tectonic plate boundaries where Earth's heat is most readily available. Recent advances in technology, though, have allowed increases in availability and use. The International Geothermal Association expects the use of geothermal energy to increase from 8,933 megawatts in 2005 to 18,500 megawatts in 2015.
Biomass and Biofuel
Biomass energy is collected by burning plants, thereby retrieving the energy they collect from the sun through photosynthesis. Unlike other renewable energies, the conversion of biomass into usable energy as biofuel is not clean. A study by the Nature Conservancy stated that the clearing of natural ecosystems as biofuel crops may actually worsen global warming.
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