When we think of renewable energy sources, our minds immediately turn to solar energy, wind energy, and hydropower. However, there are other ways of producing and consuming energy that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance in decarbonization.
What is renewable energy?
Renewable energy includes those types of energy that are obtained from natural sources (sun, wind, water, and plant or animal biomass). Therefore, their main characteristic is that they'reunlimited and do not produce greenhouse gas emissions.
What’s more, advances in technology have helped lower the costs of production and maintenance at logistics centers, making renewable energiesincreasingly more accessible and competitive.
Energy efficiency and renewable energy play a key role in the complex transition towards a low-emissions energy model. Together, they can reduce 90% of CO2energy-related emissions using safe, reliable, affordable, and easily accessible technologies.
There are different ways of producing and consuming energy that help reduce CO2emissions. Here is a list of the different types ofrenewable energy, classified according to its primary energy sources.
What types of renewable energy are there?
Among the different types of renewable energy sources, also known asclean or alternative energy, we can find:
Solar energy
Solar energy is obtained from solar radiation, or sunlight. There are two types of solar energy:
- Photovoltaic solar energy:Photovoltaic solar panels absorb sunlight and transform it into electricity.
- Thermal solar energy:Thermal collectors absorb and concentrate sunlight to create heat.
More about solar energy
Wind energy
Wind energy is obtained from wind through wind turbines that transform the kinetic energy from moving air into electricity.
Depending on the location of the wind farms, there are two types of wind energy:
- Onshore
- Offshore
More about wind energy
Hydropower
Also known as hydroelectricity, hydropower is the energy generated by transforming the mechanical energy of moving waterinto electrical power via hydroelectric power plants. The plants themselves can be of various types:
- Conventional or reservoir-based hydropower plants
- Run-of-the-river hydropower plants
- Pumped-storage hydropower plants
More about hydropower
Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy is obtained by harnessing the heat from within our planet.This energy resource is present everywhere, but it can only be harnessed in locations with specific physical conditions. In the most favorable locations, it can be found naturally in hot springs, geysers, or volcanoes.
More about geothermal energy
Biomass energy
Biomass is any organic matterthat can be used as a source of energy. and it can be harnessed in multiple ways. For example, biogas can be obtained through a biodegradation process produced by microorganisms. Also, energy crops (non-food crops) can be used to produce biofuel, whose main characteristic is that they're carbon neutral.
All about biogas All about biofuels
Marine energy
Marine energy, also known as ocean energy, can come in various forms, mainly:
- Tidal energy:Power is produced during the rise and fall of tides.
- Wave energy: Power is produced by harnessing the movement of the waves.
What are the advantages and characteristics of renewable energies?
Environmentally-friendly
Renewable energies help reduce greenhouse gas emissions therefore aiding in caring for the environment and curbing global warming.
Unlimited
As they come from renewable energy sources, they adapt to natural cycles and never run out, which help develop an efficient and sustainable energy system.
Indigenous
They are generated from natural phenomena, which helps reduce foreign energy dependence and boosts the economic development of the region.
Repsol and renewable energies
At Repsol, we are convinced that only by tackling themajor energy challengesbefore us can we turn them into opportunities. As such, we have incorporated all the technologies available toslash the emissionsderived from our operations and products in line with the Company's commitment to fight climate change, and renewable energies play a fundamental role in this whole process.
Driving renewable electricity generation
Renewable energies are among the alternatives that can contribute the most to thedecarbonizationof the European and Spanish economies in the coming decades.
Electrification is still considered the main paths to reduce ourcarbon footprint. The transportation sector is undergoing a rapid transition and electric mobility is playing a fundamental sole thanks to the continuous improvement in battery and new ultra-fast charging systems. However, there are sectors which are more difficult to decarbonize using this solution such as road freight transportation, heavy industry, and the aviation or maritime sectors.
In this complex equation,biofuelsare a key ally given that they offer the possibility of choosing between different low-carbon technologies, which are fully compatible with existing combustion vehicles. Also, they have the added value of helping drive thecircular economyin Spain by promoting the efficient use and reuse of resources, raw materials, and products throughout their life cycle.
In conjunction with the clean traditional energies from recent years,renewable hydrogenhas emerged as another innovative solution, which is also used to produce synthetic fuels.
Learn more about the development of renewable energies
