Overview of renewable energy

Renewable energy is an energy resource that can be used without depletion (solar, wind, geothermal, water or wave energy) or that is regenerated during the material circulation of ecosystems (biomass such as wood chips, pellets, logs, straw) without its amount decreasing due to human activities to a degree which threatens local ecosystems. Regeneration means that the mentioned resources are not consumed more than they are regenerated.

It is possible to efficiently produce electricity, heat and motor fuels from renewable energy sources. The most common renewable energy production technologies are:

• onshore or offshore wind farms;
• hydroelectric power and pumped-storage hydroelectric power plants;
• solar panel systems and concentrated solar thermal power plants;
• geothermal power plants;
• thermal power plants and combined heat and power plants that use biomass;
• gas power plants that use biogas.

In addition, bioethanol, biodiesel, purified biogas or biomethane and hydrogen can be produced and used as transport fuel.