What is green energy?
And what’s the difference between green energy, renewable energy and clean energy? Often these terms are used interchangeably, but there are some differences.
Green energy comes from natural sources, such as the sun and wind.
Renewable energy comes from sources that are constantly and naturally renewed (hence the name), such as wind power and solar energy. Renewable energy is also often called sustainable energy.
Renewable energy sources are the opposite of fossil fuels, like coal and gas, which are a finite energy source. Plus, the burning of fossils fuels to release energy is a cause of climate change.
The terms ‘green energy’ and ‘renewable energy’ are often used interchangeable, but there is one essential and sometimes confusing difference between them. While most green energy sources are also renewable, not all renewable energy sources are considered entirely green.
Take, for example, hydropower. While hydropower – energy generated from fast-flowing water – is renewable, some people argue that the process of generating vast amounts of power from water is not actually green, because of the industrialization and deforestation involved in the process of building large hydro dams.
How Does it Work?
As a source of energy, green energy often comes from renewable energy technologies such as solar energy, wind power, geothermal energy, biomass and hydroelectric power. Each of these technologies works in different ways, whether that is by taking power from the sun, as with solar panels, or using wind turbines or the flow of water to generate energy.
What Does it Mean?
In order to be deemed green energy, a resource cannot produce pollution, such as is found with fossil fuels. This means that not all sources used by the renewable energy industry are green. For example, power generation that burns organic material from sustainable forests may be renewable, but it is not necessarily green, due to the CO2 produced by the burning process itself.
Green energy sources are usually naturally replenished, as opposed to fossil fuel sources like natural gas or coal, which can take millions of years to develop. Green sources also often avoid mining or drilling operations that can be damaging to eco-systems.
What is clean energy? And what are the differences between green energy, clean energy and renewable energy?
Clean energy is energy that, when used, does not pollute the atmosphere; creating little or no greenhouse gases.
Once again, there are clear crossovers between clean energy, green energy and renewable energy.
Here’s an easy way to differentiate between them:
Clean energy = clean air
Green energy = sources from nature
Renewable energy = recyclable sources