What is green energy?
Green energy includes natural energetic processes that can be harnessed with little pollution. Anaerobic digestion, geothermal power, wind power, small-scale hydropower, solar power, biomass power, tidal power and wave power fall under such a category. Some versions may also include power derived from the incineration of waste.
Some Possible applications in Mauritius
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into more useful forms, such as electricity, using wind turbines.
Most modern wind power is generated in the form of electricity by converting the rotation of turbine blades into electrical current by means of an electrical generator. In windmills (a much older technology), wind energy is used to turn mechanical machinery to do physical work, such as crushing grain or pumping water.
Wind power is used in large scale wind farms for national electrical grids as well as in small individual turbines for providing electricity to rural residences or grid-isolated locations.
Wind energy is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, and reduces toxic atmospheric and greenhouse gas emissions if used to replace fossil-fuel-derived electricity.
Solar energy
Solar energy (also knows as solar radiation or insolation) is energy from the sun. This energy, in the form of heat and light, supports all life on Earth, drives the Earth’s climate and weather and is predominately responsible for the class of resources collectively known as renewable energy.
Solar energy also broadly describes technologies that utilize sunlight. The applications are diverse and date back millennia. The Greeks, Native Americans and Chinese warmed their buildings by orienting them toward the sun. In Europe, farmers used elaborate field orientation and thermal mass to increase crop yields during the Little Ice Age. Modern solar technologies continue to harness the sun to provide water heating, daylighting and even flight.
Tidal energy
Tidal energy, sometimes called tidal power, is a form of hydropower that exploits the movement of water caused by tidal currents or the rise and fall in sea levels due to the tides. Although not yet widely used, tidal power has potential for future electricity generation and is more predictable than wind energy and solar power. In Europe, tide mills have been used for over a thousand years, mainly for grinding grains.
Benefits to the country
- The country would make huge savings as the price of petrol is considerably increasing
- As it is renewable, it would never finish
- Increase reputation of Mauritius and may be considered as a green island
- This would reduce pollution and may attract more tourist
- Renewable energy facilities generally require less maintenance than traditional generators.
- Even more importantly, renewable energy produces little or no waste products such as carbon dioxide
