Renewable Energy Terms You Should Know

With renewable energy being an important topic, there’s much to learn for businesses and energy customers looking to improve their carbon footprint. As we become more aware of just how important it is to consider renewable energy options and make the switch from traditional fossil fuels for the sake of the planet, this guide to renewable energy terms will give you the foundations to understand everything you need to know about renewable energy and the industry.

Below are some of the most important terms and phrases that are used when discussing renewable energy and what they mean. Perfect for if you want to make the switch to renewable energy for your business. 

Renewable energy sources

A good place to start. Renewable energy sources are the type of energy sources that are naturally restored. This includes wind, water, light from the sun and geothermal energy. 

Carbon Neutral 

Carbon neutral is a term used to describe achieving the balance between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon. One way in which to achieve carbon neutrality is to remove the use of fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy sources. 

Carbon Offsetting

Carbon offsetting is a process in which typically companies and organisations will help to reduce or remove carbon emissions from the atmosphere in order to compensate for their own emissions caused by their business operations and practices. This will often be done by buying carbon credits within carbon offsetting programs. When carbon offsetting is done correctly and ethically, these programs will work on sustainable development projects around the world in order to reduce emissions.

Fuel Mix 

An energy supplier’s fuel mix details the ratio of energy sources used to generate electricity supplied to customers. This will show information about renewables, coal, gas, and nuclear, as well as any other source, 

All energy suppliers have an obligation to provide details of their fuel mix. At D-ENERGi, you can view our fuel mix here.

Biomass 

Biomass is a material used to generate bioenergy. It is sourced from recently living organisms, for example, energy crops, agriculture residues, wood chips, domestic and industrial waste. 

Wind Energy 

Wind energy is the type of renewable energy generated from wind power. Collected with wind turbines. Using a combination of the wind turbine propellers, a generator and the rotor, as the wind blows the turbine spins, which is then transferred to electricity using the generator. 

Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity is generated by hydropower – the movement of water. This type of renewable energy source makes up one of ⅙ of the world’s electricity.

Solar power

Another type of renewable energy source is solar power. Solar power utilises the power of the sun to generate electricity. Solar panels are a popular way for both businesses and domestic homeowners to power their homes and buildings with solar power. 

Net Zero Emissions

Net zero emissions simply means achieving as close to zero carbon emissions as possible. The UK government has set goals and plans in place in order for the UK to achieve net zero emissions and carbon neutrality by 2050. This requires a lot of steps by individuals and businesses in order to change the way we currently use energy and source energy in order to cut our emissions. 

Greenhouse Gases 

Greenhouse gases which are also referred to as GHGs are naturally occurring gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, this includes carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and nitrous oxide. 

These gases absorb and emit radiant energy, which results in the ‘greenhouse effect’ which many of us will be familiar with. The greenhouse effect explains how some of the sun’s heat is trapped on earth by these greenhouse gases. 

Offshore Wind Plant 

An offshore wind plant is a power plant that is located away from the land. The UK is establishing more of these offshore wind farms as a way to increase our generation of wind energy for the production of electricity. Offshore wind farms are most often mounted onto structures built for this exact purpose or fixed directly to the seabed.