subject: The Positive Statistics Of Renewable Energy [print this page] As our global carbon dioxide emissions grow, they highlight the need for increased reliance on renewable energy sources. Its wealth of energy resources has made Canada the fifth-biggest energy producer in the world. Over 60 percent of oil produced is exported with most going to the United States since 1995. The positive statistics of renewable energy reveal Canada is using more in recent years.
The renewable energy technologies have some variance in economic and technical capacities. They offer the benefits of far less greenhouse gases emissions and a much more sustainable source of energy. We need more of this power source to protect our environment and make our lives more sustainable.
Renewable energy meets less than twenty percent of the Canadian need. The prime source is water. It supplies less than twelve percent of total energy supply. By 2006 there were less than five hundred stations producing hydroelectric power.
Biomass is the second most dominant source. Primary sources are wood and agricultural crops. Every year, almost 500 petajoules of bioenergy are used by the industrial sector with the pulp and paper industry the largest user. It accounts for over half of the energy used in this industry. By the end of 2006, there were 62 bioenergy power plants. Most of the biomass capacity was in the leading provinces with forestry activities. These were British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick and Alberta. The principal crops used for ethanol production are corn, wheat and barley. Canada is a leading producer and exporter of these grains. In 2006, the capacity of biofuel production was approximately 600 million litres for ethanol and 100 million litres for biodiesel from vegetable oils and animal fats.
The installed wind capacity has expanded. By the beginning of 2008, there were 85 wind farms on which 1,400 wind turbines were established with installed capacity over 1,800 megawatts. The provinces of Ontario, Alberta and Quebec are leaders in wind. Solar energy usage has also grown with installed solar thermal capacity having since 1998 an average annual growth rate of 17 percent. Installed solar photovoltaic capacity has increased annually by 27 percent since 1993. Majority are off grid. Known geothermal steam resource is limited, but over 3,100 geothermal heat pump units have been installed by 2006.
Eurostat has revealed a report that in 2009 Europe has generally advanced renewable energy uses while simultaneously reducing reliance on fossil fuels. According to its report, energy usage went up by 8.3 percent. However, the use of coal was reduced by 9.2 percent and natural gas by 10.1 percent. Generally energy usage declined by 5.5 percent. This reveals the negative effects of the global financial crisis on European economies. Meanwhile, for the six consecutive year, the amount of energy used to produce energy has declined as a result of reliance on more nonfossil based energy sources. The amount of such energy was 18.4 percent in the past year. This amount is just below the 19.3 percent of energy use from natural gas in the region.
With countries like Germany whose wind power use went from negligible to top of the class, Europe is a leader Spain, is another wind leader. Germany is the second biggest global solar market. A world leader solar cell production is unsurprisingly based in Germany. German goal of reducing carbon emissions by over 35 percent by 2020 makes it a leader. Europe is making exemplary progress, even when the numbers vary amongst its constituent parts.
In the United States, 3 out of the last 4 years has produced less emissions with 2009 being a record year. Both reduced usage due to economic decline, introduction of the Feed in Tariff program and switch from coal to gas produced this result. Both Europe and the United States saw more renewable energy installations than those for fossil fuel in 2009. Yet, less than 20 percent of global power produced by renewable sources. Whereas, the statistics of renewable energy demonstrate interest remains robust, there is room for improvement.
