Renewable energy is an important part of the energy mix. It is collected from natural sources like sun, wind, rain, tides, waves, geothermal heat, and ocean currents. While most of us think of these resources as nonrenewable, they are actually very abundant. The term “renewable” comes from the idea that they’re free and readily available. The term is also used to describe the energy produced by various types of solar panels.
Historically, the primary sources of renewable energy have been human labor, animal power, water power, wind, and firewood. The latter was often the most popular, and was especially beneficial in rural communities where wind and sun power was not easily available. The use of windmills and biomass as fuel is a great example of renewable energy. The United States now consumes over half of the world’s energy. But the United States has a long way to go before we’re there.
Today, renewable energy accounts for nearly twenty percent of the world’s electricity supply. Solar, wind, and hydropower accounted for the largest share of the total U.S. electricity generation in the decade between 2010 and 2020. By 2024, this number is expected to reach 30 percent worldwide. In the United States, the ITC will be worth an additional $65 billion per year. As of 2016, renewables account for about a third of all electricity in the United States. However, many countries will need to make investments in supporting infrastructure to maximize their potential.
The growth in renewable energy is significant. The United States government has set a goal that by 2020, five percent of the country’s electricity consumption will come from renewable sources. This target was set in the Paris Climate Accord, which aims to reduce the global carbon emissions by 2050. While the United States has a lot of work to do, it is still far from achieving its goal. And it’s not just the United States that’s looking at renewable energy as a viable option.
In the United States, many states offer additional incentives for renewable energy. In the United States, the ITC helps people purchase and install qualifying equipment. In addition to the federal government’s incentive, the ITC also reduces the costs of energy for the environment. The ITC, which is worth up to a quarter billion dollars, is a valuable credit that must be used for a minimum of five years. In the United Kingdom, the investment tax credit is worth as much as $600 per year.
The United States has been a leader in developing technology for renewable energy. The United States has been a leader in research in solar and photovoltaic technologies for decades. The country ranks first in the world in producing electricity from the sun. And some of its largest solar installations are in the desert Southwest. In addition to renewable energy, the United State is an important source of biofuels and solar power. Its high concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere makes it an excellent candidate for development as a fossil fuel substitute.
The United States National Renewable Energy Laboratory reports that renewable energy will generate 5% of the nation’s electricity by 2021. The International Solar Energy Society’s report on the future of solar energy found that the amount of renewable energy that is produced by solar cells is expected to grow by 2.2 percent annually by 2021. In the meantime, the United States is predicted to be the world’s top consumer of energy by 2020, a figure that will remain stable until the end of the century.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewables will account for 29 percent of the world’s electricity by 2020. This is primarily due to solar and wind power, which will lead the increase. These technologies are also likely to grow at an even higher rate. However, government policy must support renewable electricity and develop the supporting infrastructure. This means that the price of the fuel must be affordable. That’s why the price of renewable energy is constantly falling.
In the United States, businesses drive the development of renewable energy technologies. They buy certificates and renewable electricity to meet their sustainability goals. They’re promoting renewable energy in their bottom lines by building their own facilities. As a result, the cost of solar and wind power have decreased significantly over the past decade. Onshore wind and utility-scale solar photovoltaics have dropped by 82 percent and 39 percent since 2010, respectively. This is largely due to increased demand and the economies of scale.
