A renewable energy economy s one where a good portion of the energy used by people is provided from renewable sources. Different parts of the world are at different stages of achieving a renewable energy economy - Australia and California are making good headway. Smaller economies, like Hawaii are already very close to being almost totally renewable.
List of renewable energy sources
Targets for the UK to become a renewable-energy economy are on track We are set to reach our 2020 target. This is that 20% of our energy as a nation would come from renewable sources. Ways in which households can benefit include attaching solar panels to their homes. Up to 40% of household energy can be produced by solar panels. A massive saving can be made for a fairly low upfront investment.
Renewable energy commercialization involves the deployment of three generations of renewable energy technologies dating back more than 100 years. First-generation technologies, which are already mature and economically competitive, include biomass, hydroelectricity, geothermal power and heat. Second-generation technologies are market-ready and are being deployed at the present time; they include solar heating, photovoltaics, wind power, solar thermal power stations, and modern forms of bioenergy. Third-generation technologies require continued R&D efforts in order to make large contributions on a global scale and include advanced biomass gasification, biorefinery technologies, hot-dry-rock geothermal power, artificial photosynthesis and ocean energy.[3] [4]