Renewable energy : why?
There is a lot of talk about renewable energy sources, though it's not always clear exactly with this term refers to, nor the stakes involved.
Renewable energy is energy generated from solar, water, wind, biomass, and geothermal sources. This energy results from transfer phenomena and is inexhaustible as opposed to fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, which are indeed finite deposits. The interest in renewable energy is a direct result of climbing fossil fuel prices; funds granted for research in this field diminish when oil prices decrease, and yet, developing these alternative energy sources presents real long-term advantages.
First of all, the refining, transport, and consumption of fossil fuels are responsible for most of the environmental damage caused by human activity:the greenhouse effect, acid rain and air, soil, water pollution, etc.
Secondly, the supply of fossil fuels is limited:oil and gas reserves will run dry this century, while coal deposits will be exhausted during the 22nd century. Fossil fuel reserves will last longer into the century if consumption is reduced.
Finally, energy expenditure represents a hefty outlay for industry, the self-employed, and households. While renewable energy initiatives are often undertaken at the state level, individual parties can also implement economical and environmentally responsible energy solutions: wood burning heating systems in forested areas, solar panelss for hot water heaters in sunny regions, biogas production by livestock farmers, wind pumps for water, and geothermal heating systems for houses or small apartment buildings everywhere.
Renewable energy : how ?
Solar energy
By using a hydraulic circuit, solar energy can heat a home (direct solar floor) or water (domestic hot water and swimming pools). Heat can also be recuperated "passively" thanks to a process known as bioclimatic architecture. For the time being, however, this technique remains limited and can be considered only as a backup energy source.
Hydraulic energy
Since the beginning of time, water has been a major source of energy. Hydraulic energy is one of the major forces behind the economic success of Europe. Approximately 15% of the electricity produced in France today comes from water, but the potential for any new source has been exhausted.
Wind energy
Wind turbines, or aerogenerators, are used today primarily to generate electricity, especially in wind farms along the Northern European coastline. Progress in the design of turbine blades has reduced the amount of noise pollution but wind turbines are still very controversial, mostly because of their impact on the landscape and their effect on the bird populations.
Wood
Wood is the most universal source of energy. Not only is it renewable but it also encourages better management of forestland. New wood burning furnaces (wood-turbo, burning shredded wood, etc.) are extremely effective and give off two to four times less greenhouse gases than fuel-burning furnaces.
Biogas
Biogas, produced when organic matter decomposes in the absence of oxygen, can be obtained from household waste dumps (natural methanization of waste), anaerobic fermentation of industrial or sewage plant sludge or from animal waste. Biogas, and its primary component methane, must be used close to its source of production.
biofuels
Canola seed (rapeseed) and sunflowers are also a potential source of energy. They provide not only vegetable oils and their derivatives, but also alcohols and their derivatives, which include the well-known Diester, also known as canola methyl ester. These products can be used, either in pure form or combined with diesel or fuel oil, as biofuels for transportation and heating purposes.
Geothermal heating
The earth's crust is hot. Water that has been heated by the high temperature of the earth's crust has long been used in certain regions to heat public baths, green houses and buildings: this is what is traditionally known as geothermal heating. This term is used today in a broader sense to designate the various means of recovering energy from the soil. Geothermal heating using buried loops today offers a new means of using this geothermal energy to heat homes wherever they are located. Because the energy is recuperated from the top layers of the ground, no deep drilling or heavy investment is required.