We hear more and more about renewable energies. Not in vain, these are the energies that can offer a solution to the high and growing energy demand that we have to face as a result of the demographic increase that the entire planet is facing. In fact, renewable energies are the only ones that will really be able to offer a solution to this demand, since they are those that do not run out, since they are “renewed” naturally. There are different types of these energies. Would you be able to say if the sun is a renewable energy ? And, if so, would you be able to say what its most important advantages are? If you want to know the answer to this question, keep reading EcologíaVerde and we will tell you.
What are renewable energies?
Renewable energies are those that, regardless of how they are used, never run out . In fact, when we talk about renewable energies, we can also talk about inexhaustible energies, since their use does not reduce the quantity of the source in question and, therefore, it never runs out.
Thus, when we talk about renewable energies, we are referring to some energies such as:
- Wind energy
- Hydroelectric power
- Tidal energy, wave energy , etc.
In the following article from EcologiaVerde we also talk about what renewable energies are .
On the contrary, when we talk about non-renewable energies, we are talking about energies that, with their use, end up being depleted. Two of the clearest examples of non-renewable energies would be coal and oil , which, apart from the pollution they generate, when they are consumed, energy cannot be produced again from them, which is not the case with renewable energies.
Is the sun a renewable energy or not?
Indeed, the sun is a renewable energy , since it can be used as much as you want to obtain energy and it never runs out . Naturally, when we talk about renewable energies, including solar energy, and we say that they are renewable or inexhaustible energy sources, we are saying it from a human perspective. That is, naturally, the sun’s energy will eventually run out when the star in our solar system uses up all of its hydrogen fuel, which is the original source from which its energy comes. However, on the human time scale, this energy is virtually inexhaustible , so it can be considered without a doubt as a renewable energy.
It is important to note that, in addition to being a renewable energy, solar energy is also particularly abundant in all parts of the planet. Of course, in the latitudes closest to the equator, as well as on sunnier days, solar energy can be used to a greater extent. However, even in regions close to the polar circles, and also on cloudy days, energy can be obtained from solar radiation that reaches the surface of our planet, making it one of the most potentially usable energies in existence.
Types of solar energy
Another factor to take into account is that the sun’s energy comes to us in various forms, that is, through light and heat. This means that when talking about solar energy, the correct way to talk about it is to talk about photovoltaic energy and solar thermal energy, these are the different types of solar energy :
Photovoltaic energy
The type of solar energy obtained from sunlight is photovoltaic solar energy. It is the best known of all, since it is the energy used by solar panels, which are the main instruments that can absorb this energy and convert it into electrical energy that can be used for human needs. The advantage of this energy is that it can produce large amounts of electricity , the disadvantage is that it requires a large surface area to do so. However, with current technology, photovoltaic energy is especially useful when it comes to meeting the energy needs of small electrical installations, such as those that may have independent houses, industrial buildings that do not require much energy, or urban or road furniture.
Solar thermal energy
In this case, we are also talking about solar energy, but the kind obtained from the heat that reaches the Earth. In this case, these are larger installations than solar panels, and are real power plants that provide their supply from the energy they produce. In this case, what is done is to redirect solar radiation using mirrors to a single point, which concentrates a lot of heat. This heat is transformed by a mechanical system into movement, which in turn is converted into electrical energy that can be used for human needs. This type of energy is intended to offer a broader energy supply, similar to that of the public supply system that reaches most buildings and spaces connected to the public electricity grid.
