Renewable Energy

A. Definition
B. Renewable Energy Capacity
C. Renewable Energy Type
D. Renewable Energy Advantage and Disadvantage
E. Renewable Energy Efficiency
F. Additional Definitions
G. Institute

A. Definition

Renewable Energy is any energy resources that is generated from natural processes, and continuously replenished or naturally and constantly regenerated over a short time scale. The Renewable Energy resources are sunlight, geothermal heat, wind, tides, water, and various forms of biomass, but do not include energy resources derived from fossil fuels, waste products from fossil sources, or inorganic sources. The Renewable Energy technologies range from Solar Energy; Wind Power; Geothermal Energy; Biomass; Hydropower (or Hydroelectric Power); Ocean Energy (Tidal Energy; Wave Energy); Hydrogen Fuel Cell; Fusion Energy, etc.

Clean Energy is electricity or nuclear power, that does not pollute the atmosphere when used, and a clean coal plant is simply a coal plant with emissions reduction technology.

Green Energy comes from natural sources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, plants, algae, and geothermal heat that is a subset of renewable energy. The Green Energy is the low or zero emissions and low environmental impacts to systems for human life that protects the natural environment.

Energy Transition is the global energy sector’s shift from fossil-based systems of energy production and consumption to renewable energy sources like wind and solar electrification, and improvements in energy storage are all key drivers of the energy transition. The Energy Transition will continue to increase in importance as investors prioritise environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. According to the Weforum.org, Global average ETI (Energy Transition Index) scores increased by 10% since 2014, but showed only marginal growth in the past three years; Only 18% of countries in 2023 have balanced the imperatives of the energy triangle; Equity was compromised as the transition centred on secure and sustainable; The top 10 countries account for only 2% of global CO2 emissions from fuel combustion and 4% of total energy supply.

Net Zero means to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere that is international scientific consensus to prevent the worst climate damages. The Global net human-caused the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching the Net Zero around 2050. Global warming is proportional to cumulative CO2 emissions, which means that the planet will keep heating for as long as global emissions remain more than zero. In electricity, emissions to zero can be done using renewable and nuclear generation, and a transport system that runs on electricity or hydrogen, well-insulated homes and industrial processes based on electricity rather than gas can all help to bring sectoral emissions to absolute zero. However, in agriculture industries is highly unlikely that emissions will be brought to zero. An equivalent amount of CO2 will need to be negative emissions in some business sector to become the Net Zero for the whole economy system.

Renewable Resource can be replenished or used continuously that is an organic natural resource which can be replaced or is always available naturally or practically inexhaustible as a part of Earth's natural environment and the largest components of its ecosphere. The common Renewable Natural Resource includes biomass, hydro, geothermal, solar, and wind. In the future, Renewable Natural Resource such as ocean thermal, wave, and tidal action technologies could become more practical and more widely adopted.

B. Renewable Energy Type

Solar Energy is a renewable resource that is free and supplies unlimited without pollution or damage the environment, and many technologies can be applied directly for use in homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals. The Solar Energy is an electromagnetic energy transmitted from the sun (solar radiation). Some Solar Energy technologies include solar heating, concentrated solar power (CSP), and solar architecture, and photovoltaic (PV) cells and panels. The potential of Solar Energy is 20,000 times more power than what is needed to supply the entire world, the surface of the earth receives 120,000 terawatts of solar radiation (sunlight).

Wind Energy (or Wind Power) is the use movement of the wind (air flow) across a landscape to generate mechanical power or electricity through wind turbines. The mechanical Wind Energy or Wind Power can be used for boat, grinding grain, or pumping water as well as the generating electricity by converting this mechanical power into electricity power. The Wind Energy requires extensive areal coverage to produce significant amounts of electrical energy. 

Geothermal Energy is the thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth. The production of Geothermal Energy involves drilling wells into the Earth’s crust at approximately a depth of 3 ~ 10 km. Geothermal Energy comes from the sub-surface of the earth, contained in the rocks and fluids beneath the earth’s crust and can be found as far down to the earth’s hot molten rock, magma. Hot water and steam from deep underground can be used to generate electricity in a geothermal power plant. Electricity is generated when geothermal heat produces steam that spins turbines on a generator. It's clean and sustainable, but the possibility is limited to a few locations on Earth and many technical problems exist that limit its utility. 

Biomass Energy (or Biomass Power) is the carbon neutral electricity generated from renewable organic waste (Biomass). This organic waste can include scrap lumber, forest debris, agricultural harvest waste, and other industry byproducts. In Biomass Power plants, wood waste or other waste is burned to produce steam that runs a turbine to make electricity, or that provides heat to industries and homes.

Hydropower (or Hydroelectric Power) is generated by the gravitational force of falling or flowing water to create energy that can be captured and turned into electricity. The common type of hydroelectric power plant uses a dam on a river to store water in a reservoir. Water released from the reservoir flows through a turbine, spinning it, which in turn activates a generator to produce electricity. Most of the available locations for hydroelectric dams are already used in the developed world.

Ocean Energy is all forms of renewable energy derived from the ocean that is still at an early stage of commercialisation. Wave Energy remains more costly than the other ocean technologies. Tidal range has been deployed in locations globally where there is a strong tidal resource (for example La Rance in France, Sihwa in South Korea), while tidal stream has been demonstrated at pilot scale. There are four main types of ocean technology: Tidal Movement; Wave Motion; Temperature Gradient; Salinity Gradient

Tidal Energy (or Tidal Power) is a form of hydropower that converts the energy of the tides into electricity or other useful forms of energy. The Tidal Energy is the power available from the rise and fall of ocean tides on the principal of a dam or barrage that captures water in a basin at the peak of a tidal flow, then directs the water through a hydroelectric turbine as the tide ebbs.

Wave Energy (or Wave Power) is the energy produced in the motion of ocean waves to energy that is the concept of capturing and converting the energy from wind force waves on ocean surface water to electricity generation. The Wave Energy (or Wave Power) is the renewable energy, used for electricity generation, water desalination, and pumping of water, etc. The process of the wave energy generation is: Wave Capture (convert the wave motion into usable energy); Wave Conversion (mechanical motion is converted into mechanical energy); Power Generation (converts the mechanical energy into electrical energy). 

Hydrogen Fuel Cell is a fuel cell that uses the chemical energy of hydrogen gas (H2) and oxygen gas (O2) as fuels to cleanly and efficiently produce electricity from the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen in the presence of a catalyst, without combustion. The Hydrogen Fuel Cell produces the electricity, water, and heat in which a catalyst at the anode separates hydrogen molecules into protons and electrons that takes different paths to the cathode. The electrons go through an external circuit, creating a flow of electricity where the protons migrate through the electrolyte to the cathode, and unite with oxygen and the electrons to produce water and heat that is a big improvement over internal combustion engines and nuclear power plants in which produces harmful by-products.

Energy Storage System (ESS) is a device or group of devices assembled that is to convert the electrical energy from power systems and store energy in order to supply electrical energy at a later time when needed. An ESS helps to effectively use and manage the electrical energy also expect the benefit of stable electricity supply and cost reduction (e.g., charging a battery with low-priced night time electricity). Combined an ESS and a private power station such as the Solar Energy or Wind Energy generation system can supply the electricity for 24/7 operable private power network.

Battery is an electric device connected electrically two or more cells for storage or producing electric energy that provides electricity power to electronic devices or machines.

Nuclear Fusion is a nuclear reaction in which atomic nuclei of low atomic number fuse to form a heavier nucleus with the release of energy. The difference in mass between the products and reactants is manifested as the release of large amounts of energy.

C. Renewable Energy Capacity

IEA Renewables 2022 Analysis and forecast 2027– December 2022
Renewables become the largest source of global electricity generation by early 2025, surpassing coal. Their share of the power mix is forecast to increase by 10 percentage points over the forecast period, reaching 38% in 2027. Renewables are the only electricity generation source whose share is expected to grow, with declining shares for coal, natural gas, nuclear and oil generation. Electricity from wind and solar PV more than doubles in the next five years, providing almost 20% of global power generation in 2027. These variable technologies account for 80% of global renewable generation increase over the forecast period, which will require additional sources of power system flexibility. Meanwhile, the growth of dispatchable renewables including hydropower, bioenergy, geothermal and concentrated solar power remains limited despite their critical role in integrating wind and solar PV into global electricity systems.

Solar PV’s installed power capacity is poised to surpass that of coal by 2027, becoming the largest in the world. Cumulative solar PV capacity almost triples in our forecast, growing by almost 1 500 GW over the period, exceeding natural gas by 2026 and coal by 2027. Annual solar PV capacity additions increase every year for the next five years. Despite current higher investment costs due to elevated commodity prices, utility-scale solar PV is the least costly option for new electricity generation in a significant majority of countries worldwide. Distributed solar PV, such as rooftop solar on buildings, is also set for faster growth as a result of higher retail electricity prices and growing policy support to help consumers save money on their energy bills.

Global wind capacity almost doubles, with offshore projects accounting for one-fifth of the growth. Over 570 GW of new onshore wind capacity are forecast to become operational over the 2022-27 period. However, onshore wind additions will only break their annual record, set in 2020, by the end of the forecast period because of lengthy permitting procedures and lack of improvements to grid infrastructure. Offshore wind growth accelerates globally, while Europe’s share of installed offshore capacity declines from 50% in 2021 to 30% in 2027 as China’s provincial policies support faster expansion and the United States becomes a sizeable market at the end of the forecast period.

Our accelerated case shows global renewable capacity can expand by an additional 25% compared with the main forecast if countries address policy, regulatory, permitting and financing challenges. Most advanced economies face challenges to implementation, especially related to permitting and grid infrastructure expansion. In emerging economies, policy and regulatory uncertainties still remain major barriers to faster renewable energy expansion. Finally, in developing economies, weak grid infrastructure and a lack of access to affordable financing hamper the timely commissioning of projects in our main forecast. Should countries address those challenges, global renewable capacity could expand by almost 3 000 GW. This faster increase would significantly narrow the gap on the amount of renewable electricity growth that is needed in a pathway to net zero emissions by 2050.

Global Renewable Energy Consumption 1965-2022

Global Renewable Consumption

IEA Renewable Power Tracking report – November 2021
The share of renewables in global electricity generation reached almost 29% in 2020, a record annual increase of two percentage points. However, the drop in electricity demand caused by the Covid-19 slowdown in economic activity and mobility is a key reason for this record. Renewable power deployment as a whole still needs to expand significantly to meet the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario share of more than 60% of generation by 2030. Yearly generation must increase at an average rate of nearly 12% during 2021-2030, almost twice as much as in 2011-2020. Of all energy sources in the electricity sector, only the use of renewables expanded in 2020, despite economic disruptions caused by Covid-19. Renewables-based electricity generation increased by 7.1% (a record 505 TWh) – almost 20% higher than average annual percentage growth since 2010.

Renewable power generation needs to continue expanding almost 12% annually over 2021-2030 to meet the Net Zero level. Despite record renewable capacity additions, generation growth was still significantly below the necessary level in 2020. Much faster deployment of all renewable technologies will be needed to put the world on track with the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario.


Renewable power generation by technology, historic and in the Net Zero Scenario, 2000-2030

D. Renewable Energy Efficiency

Energy Efficiency is the ratio between the useful output and input of an energy conversion process that is measured as the amount of energy output for a given energy input and calculated as a percentage between 0% and 100%. (e.g., amount of mechanical energy vs. electric motor produced for a given input of electrical energy)

Reference Information by The Wind Energy Fact Sheet NSW in Australia (2018): Energy Efficiency measures how much of the primary energy source (e.g., wind, coal, gas) is converted into electricity. NSW coal-fired power stations convert 29% to 37% of the coal into electricity, and NSW gas plants convert 32% to 50% of gas processed into electricity. Wind turbines convert around 45% of the wind passing through the blades into electricity (and almost 50% at peak efficiency). Over time, coal power stations operate at around 85% of full capacity (known as the capacity factor). Gas power station capacity factors vary from as high as 85% to less than 10% (if designed only to supply electricity at peak periods). The average capacity factor for a large-solar plant that produces electricity during daylight hours is around 20–25%. The average capacity factor for a wind farm in Australia is around 35%, and can range from 25% to 45%. Wind farm capacity factors are lower than coal and baseload gas plants, but they use their energy source more efficiently and can be large-scale suppliers of electricity.

E. Renewable Energy Advantage and Disadvantage

F. Additional Definitions

Alternative Energy is a term used for an energy source that is an alternative to using fossil fuels. The Alternative Energy is non-traditional and have low environmental impact such as nuclear power electric energy.

Balance of System (BOS) in a renewable energy system is all components other than the main mechanism facilities, such as photovoltaic (PV) panels for the solar energy, and a wind turbine for the wind power.

Carbon Credit is a tradable permit or certificate that provides the holder of the credit to emit one ton/one credit of carbon dioxide (CO2) or an equivalent of another greenhouse gas (tCO2e). The Carbon Credit can be purchased by an individual or a company to make up for carbon dioxide emissions that come from industrial production, delivery vehicles or travel. The main goal for the creation of the Carbon Credit is the reduction of emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from industrial activities to reduce the effects of global warming.

Clean Power Generator produces the electricity from sources which are environmentally cleaner than traditional sources. Clean, or Green Power is usually defined as power from renewable energy that comes from wind, solar, biomass energy, etc. Additionally, there are various definitions of clean resources including the power produced from waste-to-energy and wood-fired plants that may still produce significant air emissions.

Coefficient of Performance (COP) is a ratio of the work or useful energy output that describes efficiency of the amount of work or energy inputted into the system as determined by using the same energy equivalents for energy in and out. A COP is the most basic energy-efficiency metric of any heat engine such as heat pump, refrigerator or air conditioning system, etc. COP is Q/W, where Q is the heat supplied to or removed from and W is the work done, and higher COPs equate to higher efficiency. (e.g., a 1000W heat pump with a COP of 3.5, the heat pump gives back 3500W worth of heat)

Combined Charging System (CCS) is one style of connector (plug and port), supporting both AC and DC charging that could be used by all EV and electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE) manufacturers to ensure interoperability across the EV charging ecosystem. SAE International (Society of Automotive Engineers) and the European Automobile Manufacturing Association (ACEA) proposed the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard in 2011 (CCS Combo 1 (CCS1) connector uses the standard U.S., and CCS Combo 2 (CCS2) uses the EU-style of plug and inlet for a 3-phase AC connection) (Refer to the NACS (North American Charging Standard))

Conventional Power is the most common form and greatest source of electricity generation globally such as petroleum, natural gas, or coal. In some cases, large-scale hydropower and nuclear power generation are considered conventional sources.

Critical Raw Materials Alliance (CRMA)

G. Institute

U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) collects, analyzes, and disseminates independent and impartial energy information to promote sound policymaking, efficient markets, and public understanding of energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment. EIA provides a wide range of information and data products covering energy production, stocks, demand, imports, exports, and prices and prepares analyses and special reports on topics of current interest. (http://www.eia.gov)

International Energy Agency (IEA) is an autonomous organisation which works to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for its 29 member countries and beyond. The IEA has four main areas of focus: energy security, economic development, environmental awareness and engagement worldwide. The four main areas of IEA focus are:

Energy Security: Promoting diversity, efficiency and flexibility within all energy sectors;

Economic Development: Supporting free markets to foster economic growth and eliminate energy poverty;

Environmental Awareness: Analysing policy options to offset the impact of energy production and use on the environment, especially  for tackling climate change; and

Engagement Worldwide: Working closely with partner countries, especially major economies, to find solutions to shared energy and environmental concerns. (Source: www.iea.org/)

International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future, and serves as the principal platform for international cooperation, a centre of excellence, and a repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy. IRENA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind energy in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity. (Source: www.irena.org/)

Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)'s mission is to foster the beneficial uses of nuclear technology before Congress, the White House and executive branch agencies, federal regulators, and state policy forums; proactively communicate accurate and timely information; and provide a unified industry voice on the global importance of nuclear energy and nuclear technology. NEI’s objective is to ensure the formation of policies that promote the beneficial uses of nuclear energy and technologies in the United States and around the world. (Source: www.nei.org/)

More Definitions – visit to the Shop!