Green electricity comes from natural resources which can’t be depleted. Unlike coal and gas, renewable energy is produced with little-to-no environmental impact and does not dispense greenhouse gases into the air that contribute to global warming. This type of energy also repletes itself so it doesn’t diminish after each use like fossil fuels.
â—¾ What types of renewable energy are available?
There are six common renewable energy sources including:
- Solar Energy
- Wind Power
- Hydropower
- Geothermal energy
- Bioenergy
- Tidal Power
As these energy resources are renewable, it means that we can continue to produce them and they’ll never be used up.
â—¾ What are the advantages of renewable energy?
Renewable energy has a positive impact on life for future generations as it helps slow down the effects of climate change and global warming. Some benefits of renewable energy include:
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Carbon emissions are much lower
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The fuel supplies will not run out
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It’s widely available in Ireland and doesn’t need to be imported
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Reduces dependence on importation of fossil fuels
Renewable energy creates less carbon emissions
Renewable Energy and wind energy are inherently sustainable, i.e., using them does not have an ongoing negative impact on life in the future. It has several key benefits over conventional means of electricity generation such as it involves very low emissions of "greenhouse gases". The difference is significant when compared to the use of fossil fuels which leads to global warming and climate change.
Fuel supplies won’t run out
At the moment, we are still heavily reliant on coal and gas as a source of electricity. However, these are finite which means that the supply will eventually run out. On the other hand, solar power and wind energy will never run out. The sun shines every morning and the wind blows regularly without any effort from humankind. It’s therefore expected that these energy sources will never run out.
Renewable resources are widely available in Ireland
Ireland is one of the windiest places in Western Europe and has a tremendous potential for wind energy.
Energia supplies green electricity to its customers from a range of wind farm contracts. Energia has 550MW of operational renewable electricity capacity contracted within its renewable energy portfolio.
Energia Renewables continues to have an aggressive development strategy with a further 230MW of wind farm projects currently in development across Ireland. Energia is in fact the longest supplier of 100% renewable electricity in the isle of Ireland.
We are leaders in our field, and we want to continue to lead which is why we’re also engaged in a wide range of projects including bio-energy, energy storage and solar energy.
Reduces dependence on importation of fossil fuels
Ireland is heavily dependent on imported gas to generate electricity. Being able to source your own energy is beneficial as it allows a country to have full control over its own energy. Wars, political instabilities, and territorial disputes can have a negative impact on the importation of fossil fuels. This in turn negatively affects supply and gas prices which we recently witnessed.
â—¾ What renewable energy sources does Ireland use?
Wind power:
Ireland has huge potential for harnessing wind power which is a top source of green energy in the country. With both onshore and offshore farms, we have the second highest percentage of wind energy in Europe. According to Wind Energy Ireland, there are just under 400 wind farms on the island of Ireland. Energia operates 22 of these wind farms, with 23% of the country’s total wind energy supplied through Energia.
Energia is proud to be the only Irish Supplier that has supplied 100% renewable electricity over the last five years, and Energia is the only energy supplier in Ireland recorded as supplying 100% green electricity for this given period.
Hydro energy:
Hydro energy is the generation of electricity through the use of running water and turbines. In this case, dams or hydroelectric power stations have to be built to alter the natural flow of rivers or other bodies of water.
Although, like wind energy, Ireland has great potential to harness this green energy source only 2.5% of the country’s electricity is produced through hydropower with Ardnacrusha being the largest power plant.
Solar energy:
Following on from wind energy, solar power is another common energy source for Irish consumers. The installation of solar panels in homes allows domestic energy users to contribute to the development of clean renewable energy. The cost of installation has been decreasing due to more research and investments. There are also SEAI grants available for homeowners to assist with installation costs.
Energia are excited to launch our new innovative product trial using Solar PV with a Moixa Smart Battery. Through this new energy efficiency project, you can reduce your electricity bills and monitor your electricity usage in real-time using your personal Moixa dashboard. You can also lower your carbon footprint by leading the way for positive change in our environment, by reducing the usage of harmful fossil fuels. Furthermore, and you can also avoid rising energy costs by becoming proficient in creating your own green, renewable energy.