What Is Renewable Energy, and Why Is It Important?

Renewable energy sources used to be a distant goal for residential consumers, but now they’re more accessible, affordable, and common than ever. These sustainable energy sources protect our planet and climate and secure a continuous power supply.

Utility suppliers now offer customers the option to purchase electricity and heat from renewable sources, so many homeowners want to know more about this option, why it’s important, and how they can use it in their homes.

Renewable energy is just that—renewable. It can be infinitely regenerated, unlike the non-renewable sources most commercial and residential properties rely on, such as coal, oil, or natural gas.

Renewable sources also don’t typically produce greenhouse gas emissions—if their production does require emissions, they are minimal. Renewables are essential to fighting climate change and creating a sustainable path of continued development for our world.

Here are some of the main types of renewable energy and a brief overview of each.

• Wind Power: Large turbines convert the kinetic energy in wind into electricity. It’s commonly used in windy areas both on land and offshore.
• Hydropower: Flowing or falling water, like from a dam or waterfall, spins turbines to create electricity. Hydropower is one of the most widely used (and oldest) renewable resources.
• Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) panels or thermal systems capture sunlight and convert it into heat or electricity. Solar can be used in the form of a portable solar generator or a built-in system like the EcoFlow Power Ocean (Three-Phase). It can be used for both small residences with the EcoFlow Home Battery and large-scale applications, such as solar farms.
• Geothermal Energy: Geothermal energy leverages the heat below the Earth’s surface to generate electricity or direct heat. It’s available all year but is only accessible in specific locations.
• Ocean Energy: Ocean energy can come from tides, waves, or thermal energy by harnessing the movement or temperature of the ocean. This form is still in the early stages of development and is primarily used for large-scale applications.
• Bioenergy: Organic materials like wood, plants, and waste (biomass) are burned or converted into biofuel (ethanol, biodiesel) for electricity and transportation.

Renewable power offers a sustainable, cleaner way to power our world and lifestyles. The benefits range from planetary and national advantages to economic development, personal cost savings, and improved public health.

Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, water vapour, and other synthetic gases. Non-renewable sources emit these toxic gases when they generate power, contributing to climate change and adding to our overall carbon footprint. Renewable resources avoid greenhouse gases, slowing climate damage and cutting emissions at scale. It’s good for our planet both now and in the long term.

Fossil fuels are finite and are depleting as we rely on them. Renewable resources, like sunlight, water, and wind, naturally replenish over time, so they can never be completely exhausted. This sustainability is key to building a future-proof energy system for our planet.

The emissions produced when burning fossil fuels release harmful pollutants that can irritate existing health conditions and contribute to other issues like heart disease and asthma. When we replace these sources with renewable options, we reduce the air and water pollution we produce, improving public health and quality of life.

Renewable energy can be harnessed on small scales, such as in residential homes, but it can also scale to serve communities, states, or even countries, reducing overall dependence on other sources, which are often imported and rely on positive foreign relationships. Not only does this protect us from challenges stemming from global politics and markets, but it also increases national control over power supply and pricing.

Renewable energy is often labour-intensive in large-scale applications, so we need workers. While fossil fuel industries also employ people, renewable energy creates more jobs per energy dollar spent than fossil fuels. Career opportunities include manufacturing, installation, maintenance, and research and development. As demand for more natural, renewable resources grows, so do the job opportunities.

Distributed systems, such as rooftop solar, make grids more resilient by reducing demand. They can also return renewable energy to the grid, lowering the overall risk of outages and large-scale disasters caused by fuel shortages, extreme weather, or cyberattacks. Diversification through renewable power generation creates a safer grid.

Renewable energy can be used in many forms right at home. It can generate heat and electricity, and expanded uses are emerging, as research and development continue.

Here are a few ways you can leverage renewable power at home right now:

Photovoltaic systems like the EcoFlow Power Ocean (Single-Phase) use solar cells in PV panels to capture sunlight and convert it into electricity. Solar system efficiency depends on factors such as sunlight intensity, panel orientation, location, and the changing seasons.

To maximise your solar power generation, you can pair a rooftop photovoltaic solar system with battery storage, so you can leverage solar power not just when the sun’s up, but also at night, on cloudy days, and when the grid goes out.

Heat pumps can use water, air, or geothermal heat to produce heat for an HVAC system or hot water. However, heat pumps require electricity to work and create more electricity, so you’d still likely need to remain connected to the grid. Still, you can consider them economical if used alongside underfloor heating or a low-temperature heating system. If you’re willing to go the distance this way, a PV system for electricity consumption can be worth investing in.

Wood chip or pellet heating systems are becoming more popular. They burn wood industry waste products in a boiler, which generates heat for water that can then be fed into the home heating system.

Solar thermal systems convert sunlight into heat energy for heating, water, or home cooling. It cannot generate electricity, and its output depends on the duration and intensity of solar radiation. Efficient solar panels are also necessary.

Hydropower is the most efficient renewable energy source in terms of conversion, with 90% of the energy converted to electricity at large-scale hydroelectric plants. However, considering scalability, cost, and environmental impact, solar and wind are the most practical.

Solar panels usually last 25 years or more with proper cleaning and maintenance. Home batteries should last between 10 and 15 years before they need replacing. Inverters—the part that converts solar power into usable energy—typically last around 10 years.

Yes, with the right setup. Solar panels can still generate some power on cloudy days (though significantly less than when there’s full sunlight), and battery storage allows you to save energy for later. Having backup options or grid connection helps ensure you always have power when needed.

Renewable energy is a sustainable, cost-effective, and eco-friendly alternative to the standard non-renewable resources we use en masse for grid electricity. Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy sources emit no toxic fumes, enhance power security and independence, and improve public health. 

If you want to enhance your use of renewable energy for your home’s heating or power, consider adding the EcoFlow Power Ocean DC Fit to your existing solar set-up to provide whole-home power and backup without the downsides.