Research has shown that fuels such as oil, gas and even nuclear have a remaining life span of 70 years. As the industrialized modern world consumes increasing amounts of energy, finding non-conventional energy sources becomes essential to sustain worldwide energy demands. There is considerable debate about the efficiency of non-conventional energy and its ability to supply the world. The contribution of renewable sources of energy remains small however it’s a growing sector with expanding levels of investment. Non-Conventional energy sources can be defined in following types * Water Energy – Hydro-electric power plants are effective in utilizing potential energy stored in water. Ocean contains energy in form of temperature gradients, waves and tides and can be harnessed. * Wind Energy – Wind has kinetic energy that can turn turbines and can be converted to usable power. However the amount of energy that can be derived depends on the speed of the wind. Wind power is one of the most cost-efficient forms of non-conventional energy. * Solar Energy – The Solar Photo Voltaic (SPV) technology which enables the direct conversion of sun light into electricity can be used to run pumps, lights, refrigerators, TV sets, etc and it has several distinct advantages since it does not have moving parts, produces no noise or pollution, requires very little maintenance and can be installed anywhere. * Other sources – Geo-Thermal energy, Biomass energy and Bio fuels are other sources of non-conventional energy.
All over the developed world importance of these types of non-conventional energy sources has been recognized with international targets set for a massive increase in renewable generation, for example European Union has set 30 percent energy output by 2020.Nevertheless there is need of more thrust to the research and development of non-conventional energy sources not only to mitigate greenhouse effect but also to lessen dependence on fossil fuels. Last but not the least, it is for citizens also to believe in power of renewable energy sources and understand its necessity and importance.
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