Welcome to Renewable energy, the alternative energy source is a more and more discussed topic on TV, in newspapers and among people worldwide: terms as wind power, geothermal energy, photovoltaic panels and recovery of the heat have become part of our vocabulary and it is highly desiderable that, in a near future, the subject is seriously considered.
In nature nothing is destroyed and nothing is created
First, let’s see what the renewable energies are and how they can be classified: renewable energies are a form of energy derived from unlimited energy sources, whose use does not jeopardize the availability of natural resources for future generations;
but we have to be careful: these statements are worth only from both a social and a political point of view, as according to the first principle of dynamics in nature nothing is destroyed and nothing is created.
But if we consider that the regeneration both of fossils, such as coal, natural gas and petroleum, and of chemical elements, such as plutonium and uranium, take millions of years, we have to consider these sources exhaustible, as in the near future they will be limited.
Sustainable development
Can be considered as renewable energy: the geothermal energy (the heat derived from geological sources), the hydroelectric energy (energy of tides, of sea heat and sea waves), the wind power, the solar energy (photovoltaic and thermal), the energy derived from biomass (such as vegetable oils, biogas, biodiesel and chips), and the waste thermovalorization.
The renewable energy has a very limited environmental impact; it allows having a sustainable development by not wasting the natural sources, thus preserving their availability for future generations.
In our country, the energy is mostly produced using very old techniques of petroleum or coal combustion; but the science has taken giant steps forward and, now, it is time for Italy to develop the use of renewable energy resources.