Renewable Energy or Green Energy
is derived from non-conventional energy which is continuously replenished by
natural processes. Renewable Energy has attracted a lot of attention in the
recent past owing to exhaustion of fossil fuels and in the lookout for
alternate energy for a clean and green future. Various forms of renewable
energy include solar energy, wind energy, hydro energy, geothermal energy, wave
and tidal energy. Based on REN21's 2016 report, renewables contributed 19.2% to
humans' global energy consumption and 23.7% to their generation of electricity
in 2014 and 2015, respectively. This energy consumption is divided as 8.9%
coming from traditional biomass, 4.2% as heat energy (modern biomass,
geothermal and solar heat), 3.9% hydroelectricity and 2.2% is electricity from
wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass. Worldwide investments in renewable
technologies amounted to more than US$286 billion in 2015, with countries like
China and the United States heavily investing in wind, hydro, solar and biofuels.
Globally, there are an estimated 7.7 million jobs associated with the renewable
energy industries, with solar photovoltaic being the largest renewable
employer. As of 2015 worldwide, more than half of all new electricity capacity
installed was renewable. Renewable energy systems are rapidly becoming more
efficient and cheaper. Their share of total energy consumption is increasing.
Growth in consumption of coal and oil could end by 2020 due to increased uptake
of renewables and natural gas.
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Wind Energy
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Renewable energy for Agricultural Sustainability
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Renewable Energy for Power and Heat
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Hydrogen Fuel Cells
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Marine (Ocean) Energy
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Biomass Conversion
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Geothermal Energy
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Wave and Tidal Energy
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Hydroelectric Energy
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Solar thermal and Photovoltaic
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Solar Energy
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Integration of Renewable Energy into Present and
Future Energy Systems