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The Best Ways to Use Renewable Energy

Solar Thermal Power (1/13)

View of a solar park under construction near Seville, Spain in May 2007. Large mirrors are used to concentrate the sun's rays onto the top of a 100-meter tower where it produces steam to drive a turbine. This project is part of a larger EU-financed Sanlucar la Mayor Solar Platform that, when completed in 2013, will produce enough energy to power 180,000 homes.

According to the UNEP, solar power received 16 percent of the overall 70.9 billion US dollars invested in renewable energy worldwide in 2006. (Photo: Reuters)

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The Best Ways to Use Renewable Energy

Photovoltaic (2/13)

A woman stands in the doorway of her mud house next to a photovoltaic panel in a village near Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photovoltaic solar panels directly produce electricity and help serve rural communities in developing countries. Only 30 per cent of Bangladesh's population has access to electricity grids. Most of the country's 140 million people still depend on kerosene and wood for their daily energy needs. (Photo: Reuters)

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The Best Ways to Use Renewable Energy

Wind Turbine (3/13)

An Australian homeowner adjusts a wind turbine on the roof of his house. Many homeowners are beginning to install small wind turbines on their property or roofs to offset their electricity bill and reduce their carbon footprint by relying less on conventional energy generation. Not all buildings or properties, however, are suitable for private, small-scale wind energy generation. (Photo: Reuters)

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The Best Ways to Use Renewable Energy

Wind Park (4/13)

An old windmill beside modern wind turbines near Magdeburg, Germany in August 2007. According to the Global Wind Energy Council, total installed wind energy capacity increased by 25 percent in 2006 making wind the third most important source for renewable power. Most of the world's 74 Megawatts of wind energy capacity are produced in Europe, but wind energy is growing rapidly in North America and Asia. (Photo: Reuters)

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The Best Ways to Use Renewable Energy

Offshore Wind Park (5/13)

Wind turbines in the North Hoyle offshore wind park near Prestatyn, North Wales. Dozens of wind farms are up and running, with hundreds more planned as developers scramble to take advantage of Scotland's blustery climate and lucrative subsidies for renewable energy. Offshore wind parks could produce significantly more energy than onshore installations. Engineers, however, still struggle with rough conditions and high costs. (Photo: Reuters)

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The Best Ways to Use Renewable Energy

Biogas (6/13)

A worker adjusts a gas pipeline inside a biomass gasifier power plant in eastern Indian village of Gosaba serving about 1,200 local families with power.
Biomass refers to a variety of ways to convert organic matter into energy, often through combustion or the production of gases and liquid fuels. Biomass heat is the second most important source for renewable power. (Photo: Reuters)

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The Best Ways to Use Renewable Energy

Biomass and Biofuels (7/13)

Workers unload oil palms from a truck near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Malaysian palm oil prices have surged due to rising demand for biodiesel. Palm oil is relatively cheap to convert to fuel, but environmentalists are concerned that much of the Malaysian and Indonesian rainforests will be destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations. (Photo: Reuters)

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The Best Ways to Use Renewable Energy

Hydrogen Fuel Cells (8/13)

Water vapor is emitted from a hydrogen-powered fuel cell bus in central London in January 2004. London is one of several cities to experiment with zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cell buses.

Hydrogen, the world's most abundant element has high energy content and low pollution. The typical byproduct of hydrogen fuel cells is water. Many companies experiment with such technology, but widespread application could be years or even decades away. (Photo: Reuters)

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The Best Ways to Use Renewable Energy

Hydroelectric Power (9/13)

The Cachi in Ujarras de Cartago hydroelectric dam in Costa Rica, a country committed to reducing its net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2030.
Hydroelectric power is by far the most important source of renewable energy worldwide. But while it is cleaner than coal power generation in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, dams can also produce significant levels of methane emissions (another major greenhouse gas) and have a high environmental impact on local habitats and societies. (Photo: Reuters)

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The Best Ways to Use Renewable Energy

Wave Power (10/13)

A model wave energy generator floating on the waters near Limfjorden, Denmark. A full-scale version of this prototype will be placed in the North Sea. It uses wave power to create electric energy. Earlier experiments with wave power, however, faced problems in rough seas. (Photo: Reuters)

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The Best Ways to Use Renewable Energy

Tidal Power (11/13)

The Rance tidal power plant uses the massive difference between low and high tide of the Atlantic. It is located on the estuary of the Rance River, in Bretagne, France. Special two-way turbines produce a maximum of 240 Megawatt (MW), about 4 percent of all energy consumed in the Bretagne. The plant, run by the French utility EDF, is the biggest in the world. A projected tidal power plant in South Korea could produce up to 250 MW. In most coastal areas, however, tidal power is not strong enough to efficiently produce energy. (Photo: EDF Médiathèque)

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The Best Ways to Use Renewable Energy

Geothermal Power (12/13)

The Blue Lagoon hot springs near Reykjavik, Iceland, with a thermal electricity plant in the background. Iceland uses its natural, hot, mineral-rich water caused by volcanic activity to power local industry and heat and provide electricity to most homes around Reykjavik. Geothermal power, however, is not strictly renewable as hot water cools down over time. (Photo: Reuters)

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The Best Ways to Use Renewable Energy

Geothermal II (13/13)

Not every country can rely on geothermal plants as a viable energy source. Engineers in Australia are trying to push the boundaries of geothermal energy usage by developing a new system to generate electricity from the heat of ancient rocks buried up to three kilometers below the Australian outback. Spurred by high commodity prices and a drive to reduce Australia's reliance on coal, several companies are looking to harness hot rock temperatures of up to 300 degrees Celsius (570 degrees Fahrenheit) to produce clean energy. (Graphic: Reuters)

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Benefits and Risks of Eco-Energy

Demand for electricity is growing, market prices are favorable, and concern about a lack of energy independence is growing. Does this mean a green light for investment in renewables?

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