Renewable energy refers to inexhaustible resources that can be constantly regenerated and used forever in nature, which are harmless or extremely harmful to the environment and are widely distributed and suitable for local development and utilization. The following is a detailed analysis and summary of renewable energy:
Types of renewable energy
Solar energy: the use of solar radiation to generate electricity directly (e.g. solar panels), or heat energy is directly utilised or used to generate electricity. As technology advances, the efficiency of solar panels continues to improve, making the use of solar energy more efficient and economical.
Wind energy: Wind turbines at sea or on land convert wind energy into kinetic energy through their blades, which drives a generator to produce electricity. Wind energy is characterised by its wide distribution and huge reserves, and is an important part of renewable energy.
Hydroelectricity: Hydroelectricity utilises the flow of energy in the water cycle, e.g. using water falling from a height to turn a turbine. Hydropower is one of the renewable energy sources with mature technology and wide application.
Biomass: A renewable resource in the form of biomass that uses natural processes to convert solar radiation energy into chemical energy. It can be made into biofuels for combustion, such as fuelwood, biogas, biodiesel, etc.
Geothermal energy: The ultimate source of geothermal energy is the decay of radioactive elements, which can be utilised either directly in the form of heat energy or to produce steam, which can drive turbines to generate electricity.
Ocean energy: This includes wave energy, tidal energy, ocean temperature gradients and ocean currents, etc. These sources of energy are derived from wind, gravitational interaction between the sun and the moon, etc.
Characteristics of Renewable Energy
Renewable: Renewable energy can be constantly regenerated in nature and will not be depleted by use.
Environmental protection: Renewable energy is harmless to the environment or extremely harmful, which helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment.
Widely distributed: Renewable energy resources are widely distributed, suitable for local development and utilisation, and can reduce the dependence on specific regional resources.
The development trend of renewable energy
Driven by technological progress: with the continuous progress of technology, the development and utilisation efficiency of renewable energy will be greatly improved, and the cost of power generation will be continuously reduced.
Continuous strengthening of policy support: Governments have formulated and implemented renewable energy policies to promote the development of renewable energy. Policy subsidies and incentives will attract more investors and enterprises to participate in the field of renewable energy.
Diversification of energy structure: With the rapid development of renewable energy, the energy structure will become more diversified. Traditional fossil energy sources will gradually decrease, and renewable energy will become one of the important sources of energy supply.
Strengthening of transnational co-operation: The development of renewable energy requires strong technical support and financial investment, so transnational co-operation will become more important. Governments and enterprises will strengthen their co-operation to carry out joint research and project development, and achieve the sharing of technology and experience.
Numerical information on renewable energy
According to IRENA projections, installed PV capacity will reach 5,200GW by 2030 and 14,000GW by 2050, with the proportion of renewable energy reaching more than 90 per cent.
Huawei’s release of the “Top 10 Trends in Smart PV 2024” points out that optical storage parity as well as grid-configuration technologies will enable optical storage systems to become a stable power source and will drive PV to become the main power source in the next three years.
In short, renewable energy, as a clean, environmentally friendly, renewable form of energy, is of great significance in promoting energy green low-carbon transformation and high-quality development. With the progress of technology and policy support, the development prospects of renewable energy will be broader.