IDT Energy New York asks: What is renewable energy?

As its name indicates, renewable energy is energy that is always available and cannot be “used up” as other sources of energy which are limited in quantity and will one day be exhausted. There is no way to “finish” energy received from the sun, wind or other energy sources based on the natural processes of the earth’s ecosystem.

Also known as “green energy” and “clean energy” , renewable energy tends to be much less polluting, eliminating the unwanted production of carbon dioxide and other harmful gasses which contribute to the dangerous “greenhouse effect” that scientists and environmentalists are so concerned about.

IDT Energy New York: Wind Power Blowing Our Way

Wind, caused by the uneven heating of the atmosphere over the earth’s surface, is a form of kinetic energy. A wind turbine, the modern version of the ancient and beloved windmill, converts this kinetic energy into mechanical energy. If the conversion process stops there and the mechanical energy is used to grind grains or pump water, this apparatus is usually referred to as a windmill. If we take the process to the next step and convert the mechanical energy into electricity, we then refer to this machine as a wind turbine, wind generator, wind power unit (WPU), wind energy converter (WEC) or even an aerogenerator.

Today wind only produces about 1.5% of the world’s supply of electricity. However the use of wind power doubled between 2005 and 2008, and is particularly popular in several European countries including about 20% of all electric production in Denmark.
Substantial growth of wind power is being predicted for the next five years, and we hope this renewable and clean form of energy will help IDT Energy make New York and the world a cleaner, more energy conserving place.