General Information about Renewable Energy Sources.

Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources—such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat —which are renewable (naturally replenished). Renewable energy sources can be replenished in a short period of time. The five renewable sources used most often are:

• Biomass (including wood and wood waste, municipal solid waste, landfill and biogas, ethanol, and biodiesel)
  
• Water (hydropower)
  
• Geothermal
  
• Wind
  
• Solar

In 2006, about 18% of global final energy consumption came from renewables, with 13% coming from traditional biomass, such as wood-burning. Hydroelectricity was the next largest renewable source, providing 3%, followed by solar hot water/heating, which contributed 1.3%. Modern technologies, such as geothermal energy, wind power, solar power, and ocean energy together provided some 0.8% of final energy consumption.