Renewable Energy is energy produced from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat which are renewable (naturally replenished). In 2006, about 18% of final energy consumption from renewable energy sources by 13% coming from traditional biomass, like wood burning. Hydroelectric power is the second largest renewable energy source, providing 3% of world energy consumption and 15% of the world's electricity production.
Wind power is growing 30 percent per year in the world with an installed capacity of 121,000 megawatts (MW) in 2008 and used in many European countries and USA. The annual report for the industrial production of solar cells has reached 6900 MW in 2008 [4], and photovoltaic (PV) is popular in Germany and Spain. Solar thermal power plants in the U.S. and Spain, and the largest of these is the 354 MW segs in the central Mojave Desert. The largest geothermal system is the Geysers in California, with a nominal capacity of 750 MW. Brazil is one of the largest renewable energy programs in the world, where production of ethanol fuel from sugar cane and ethanol now constitutes 18 percent of fuel. Ethanol fuel is also widely available in the U.S..
While most renewable energy projects and large-scale production, renewable technologies are also suited for small off-grid applications, sometimes in rural and remote areas, where energy is often crucial for human development. Kenya has the world's highest household solar ownership of nearly 30,000 small (20-100 watt) solar energy sold per year.
Renewable Energy technologies has been criticized for being intermittent or unsightly, but the market for renewable energy increases. Climate change concerns coupled with high oil prices, peak oil and increasing government support are driving the legislation more and more renewable energy sources, incentives and marketing. New government spending, and should help the industry to overcome the economic crisis of 2009 better than many other sectors.
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