Renewable energy is energy that we can easily renew or replace. We can make more of it easily.
Solar Energy
The sun is one of our greatest renewable energy sources. If we use the sun’s energy today, we can still use it again tomorrow, next year and even in a hundred years. This is called a renewable energy source. The Solar panels on the roof use this energy to make electricity or to heat water.
Wind Energy
The movement of wind is another terrific source of energy. The wind turns around a windmill (a big fan). The windmill turning can make electricity. The wind won’t stop blowing anytime soon which means it is renewable.
Hydo Energy
Hydro just means water. Rivers can be a renewable energy source called hydro-electricity. The water runs downhill and turns around a turbine (a big fan or a water-wheel). We can generate electricity from the turbine (fan) turning around.
The Snowy Mountains electricity scheme is Australia’s largest example of hydro-electric energy. The Snowy Mountains are in New South Wales and Victoria. The water flowing downhill in some of the rivers in the Snowy Mountains is used to make electricity.
Energy from Waves and the Tide
Waves at the beach are also a form or energy. The waves can be made to spin turbines (fans or waterwheels) in much the same way as wind energy or hydro energy. In this way electricity can be generated by the wave movement.
Every day the sea flows back and forth because of the tide. When the sea is at its highest it is called high tide and at the lowest low tide. In narrow channels such as the entrance to a bay the water can move quite quickly due to the tide. We can put a turbine or fan in the water that will turn around and make electricity.
Energy from Biomass and Landfill
All plants and animals use energy to grow. Even when a plant or animal dies, the energy it used to grow is not destroyed. People are using the energy from plants and animals in lots of different ways. The mains ones are:
Wood comes from dead trees and can be burnt in a fireplace to keep us warm
Crops like sugarcane, corn, wheat and potatoes can produce a liquid called ethanol which can be burnt like petrol in cars
Landfill. When garbage breaks down it produces a gas called methane.
Methane can be burnt in power stations to produce electricity
Sewage. Human and animal waste (poo) also produce gases such as methane as they break down. This gas can be burnt in power stations to produce electricity