According to the Renewable Energy Working Party of the International Energy Agency, renewable energy can be defined as "energy that is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly".

Photovoltaic installation

In other words, renewable energy is inexhaustible and environmentally friendly. It exists naturally, perpetually and plentifully in the environment, and is ready to be harnessed.

This kind of energy has been used to supplement or substitute conventional power generation with fossil fuels. The most common forms of renewable energy include solar, wind, hydropower and ocean energy, geothermal and biomass.

Benefits of Renewable Energy

Limitations of Renewable Energy

● Unpredictable and unreliable. For example, the availability of solar or wind energy is subject to factors like weather conditions and geographic locations ● Topographical limitations. Some renewable energy installations require lots of land, for instance, wind farms and their development may be hindered in countries or cities with limited land resources ● At present, the cost of generating electricity from renewable energy is generally higher than that using traditional fuels, casting doubts on the cost effectiveness of this kind of energy.

Renewable energy installations like wind farms require lots of land