Examples of renewable resources are things like water, soil, air, forests, and animals, to put it simply.

A commonly accepted definition is that a natural resource is a renewable resource if it is replaced by natural processes at a rate comparable to or faster than its rate of consumption by humans.

Solar radiation, tides, winds, and hydroelectricity are in no danger of a lack of long-term availability, so it is reasonable to describe them as renewable.

Renewable resources may also be used to describe materials such as wood, paper, and leather if harvesting is performed sustainably. In other words, wood is renewable, but only if more forests are being planted to replace the trees that are being felled.

So, we could define renewable resources as those that can replenish themselves over time through a natural process, such as farming. Such resources have the ability to be renewed over a short period of time.

We suggest that you watch our video below, which explains and gives examples of renewable resources:

To also watch this on YouTube, go to our “Examples of Renewable Resources” video.

Introduction to Renewable Resources

Simply described, renewable resources include water, soil, air, forests, and animals. According to one widely recognised definition, a natural resource is renewable if it is replaced by natural processes at a rate comparable to or faster than human consumption.

Types of Renewable Resources

Solar radiation, tides, winds, and hydroelectricity are considered renewable because they are not likely to run out in the long run. Renewable resources can also describe products like wood, paper, and leather if harvested sustainably.

Definition of Renewable Energy Sources

Water, wind, solar, and biomass are all renewable energy sources. These sources are virtually inexhaustible in human time spans and can be replenished rapidly, contributing to a shift from a disposal culture to a more circular economy.

Importance of Energy

“SUFFICIENT ENERGY IS A BASIC NEED”

In economically developed countries, access to sufficient energy is taken for granted, impacting almost every aspect of existence.

Challenges and Opportunities

While there is enough renewable energy for everybody, renewable energy sources cannot yet meet all of our energy needs. It's up to us to generate additional renewable energy sources, use them efficiently, and optimise our user behaviour.

Transitioning from Non-Renewable to Renewable Resources

Although biomass once met a significant portion of the United States' energy needs, all renewable energy sources combined provided only about 8% in 2009, highlighting the need for a greater shift towards renewable resources.

Renewable vs Non-Renewable Resources

Renewable resources are energy sources that our planet and other living things use but can replenish through natural processes once depleted.

This contrasts with non-renewable resources like petrol (gasolene – US) made from mineral oil, which will eventually run out.

Global Emphasis on Renewable Resources

There is a global emphasis on shifting to a greater reliance on renewable resources, which are, in theory, limitless and significantly less polluting than non-renewable fuel sources.

The force that is driving the world toward using reusable resources and ceasing dependency on nonrenewable fuels is the accelerating pace of climate change. The word for the move toward renewable energy sources is decarbonisation (decarbonization – US).

Decarbonisation

Decarbonisation is a beacon of hope in the storm of climate change, a rallying cry for all of us to come together and harness the power of wind, sun, and water.

These renewable resources, abundant and ever-present, are the keys to unlocking a world where energy does not come at the expense of the environment.

It's a world where clean air and clear skies are not just memories of the past but the reality of our everyday lives. By embracing renewable energy, we're not just reducing carbon emissions; we're taking a bold step towards healing our planet, restoring its balance, and securing a vibrant, healthy world for all living beings.

Additional Examples of Renewable Resources

Renewable resources are an important aspect of sustainability.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the 5 most frequently used renewable resources in 2023 were (not in any order):

• biomass,
• hydropower,
• wind,
• geothermal, and
• solar energy.

These sources are utilized for various applications, such as electricity generation, heating, and transportation fuels.

Biomass comes from organic materials and is used to create electricity, heat, and biofuels. Hydropower utilizes flowing water to generate electricity. Wind energy harnesses the wind's power for electricity. Geothermal energy exploits the Earth's internal heat for electricity and heating. Solar energy converts sunlight into electricity or heat. For detailed information, please visit the EIA's official website.

Unlike using fossil fuels, we can regenerate or replenish these resources. Although biomass in the form of wood once supplied 90 percent of U.S. energy needs, all renewable energy sources combined supplied only about 8 percent in 2009.

Let's think about the gasoline we use in cars. Gasoline is a non-renewable resource, which means that we're going to run out of it! Someday, there won't be any gasoline left. We'll have to think of something else to use to run our cars!

Now let's think about trees and wood. Wood is a renewable resource. So long as we take good care of the forests, we will never run out of wood!

Geothermal energy is an infinite source generated by the earth's heat. The most frequently used renewable resources include biomass, hydropower, wind, geothermal, and solar energy, used for various applications such as electricity generation, heating, and transportation fuels.

Solar power is the conversion of sunshine into usable energy. It's done using solar panels, which convert the sun's light and radiation into electrical power.

Solar power has an exceptionally high capacity since it is incredibly available. According to the science journal “Nature,” the sun provides Earth with more energy in a single hour than human beings use in a year.

Renewable resources are energy sources that our planet and our living organisms use, but that can be recreated by natural processes once they're used up. In this case, the intentional planting of new trees, for example, would still be considered “renewable” even though human intervention made it possible.

Some renewable resources take long periods of time to regenerate, like those trees, while others take literally no time, such as sunlight, or wind.

Global attention has been drawn recently to the need to switch to a higher reliance on renewable resources than our existing practices of making use of sources like fossil fuels. Renewable resources are in theory unrestricted, and the majority of the types that are in use are far less contaminating than nonrenewable fuel sources.

A renewable resource replaces itself at a rate equal to or greater than human usage. The term typically refers to renewable energies, which are self-reliant in time.

Lots of nations today are enhancing their use of renewable energies to change fossil fuels, such as coal and petroleum, which take thousands and often countless years to change themselves, making them non-renewable resources.

Fossil Fuels: coal, oil, gas and soil, rocks, and minerals. As soon as they have been removed from a mine or washed away it takes a VERY long time for them to form.

We have counted on fossil fuels for our energy requirements because, traditionally, these fuels have actually been relatively affordable, and lucrative for developers. With rising fuel rates, concerns about environmental effect, and growing political issues about oil providers, renewable resource is gaining in importance.

Renewable resources are natural sources that can not be reduced. Examples consist of solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, and geothermal. Fossil fuels like coal, oil, and even clean-burning gas do not exist in limitless supply. Someday they will certainly be gone. In extra to endless accessibility, renewable resources produce fewer ecological impacts, specifically pollution.

The 3 Types of Energy Sources

In the world, we come across 3 major types of energy resources:

• Perpetual,
• Renewable, and
• Non-Renewable.

Examples of Perpetual energy resources are wind and sunshine, which continue to be consistent despite unlimited use.

Renewable resources are energy carriers that can be replenished once more and once again by utilising physical and bio-geochemical cycles.

Non-renewable resources can not be renewed. A good example is coal.

Broadly speaking renewable resources may also be classified as natural organic renewable resources and non-organic renewable resources.

Plant and animal species are examples of natural renewable resources whereas gases like oxygen and water are examples of non-organic renewable resources.

Examples of renewable resources are fresh water, fish, and soil.

Non-renewable resources such as oil and minerals are irreplaceable, and they do not successfully regenerate once they are consumed.

Exploiting a Resource Sustainably

The sustainable use of renewable resources implies, in agriculture, that cropping does not go beyond the renewal of the resource, in fishing, that there is no “overfishing”, in game-hunting that culling is controlled, and for each renewable resource, there is an equivalent threshold.

A renewable source of energy is one that produces power.

When the energy is generated sustainably, the resource is not diminished or used up. They are normally replenished, and can either be handled so that they last for life, or their supply is so enormous that human beings can never ever meaningfully deplete them.

Unlike fossil fuels, renewable resource sources do not launch CO2 as a by-product into the environment. As the amount of nonrenewable fuel source resources in the world reduces, it is ending up being increasingly important to discover and use alternative fuels.

Alternative Energy

In the US, the term Alternative Energy is often used when referring to renewable energy. An “alternative fuel” source suggests anything other than deriving energy through fossil fuel combustion. An alternative fuel might include nuclear power, which is a fuel source that many would question is strictly renewable at all.

Alternative energy can also be defined as a natural resource that transforms into a renewable resource when natural processes change it at a rate that is significantly faster than how quickly humans use it.

Some natural renewable resources such as fresh water, timber, and biomass, must be used with care to avoid exceeding the capability to replenish them.

Potentially, renewable natural resources can sustain being collected and used to the benefit of human society forever.

For example, flowing water can be sustainably used to produce hydroelectricity or for irrigation, as long as the usage does not surpass the capacity of the landscape to yield water.

Likewise, biological natural resources such as trees and hunted fish, waterfowl, and deer can be sustainably gathered to yield valuable items, as long as the rate of cropping does not go beyond the renewal of the resource.

Examples of Renewable Resources – Conclusion

Conclusion

A renewable resource is one that may be regenerated through biological or other natural processes and replenished over time.

They belong to the natural environment, but they are jeopardised by industrial developments and overpopulation.

Solar radiation, biomass, tides, geothermal, and wind are examples of renewable resources.

They are essential for sustainability and reducing our dependency on finite resources.

Yet More Examples of Renewable Resources

Renewable resources are an important aspect of sustainability. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the most frequently used renewable resources are biomass, water, geothermal, wind, and solar.

Unlike fossil fuels, we can regenerate or replenish these resources.

With the rising cost and decreasing availability of nonrenewable fossil fuels, renewable resources are receiving increasing attention. … via SFGateHome Guides

Common Renewable Resources – List of Specific Materials

• Alcohol – Used in the production of biodiesel
• Algae – Can be harvested and made into jet fuel, biodiesel, and biobutanol
• Animal fat – Used to make biodiesel or bioplastic
• Bark and sawdust – Used for heat and power
• Barley – Can make fuel ethanol
• Corn – Used to make ethanol to power cars and heat homes
• Corn starch – Used to make bioplastic
• Crop residues – Such as wheat straw or corn stover
• Duckweed – Used for ethanol production
• Jatropha – A weed that can be made into biodiesel
• Landfill gas, or methane – Can be used for heat and power
• Manure – Can be converted to methane that can produce biogas
• Microbiota (an evergreen plant) – Used to make bioplastic.

These are just a few. Many more are listed at RenewablesYourDictionary

Examples of Non-renewable Resources

Renewable Energy Sources

What Makes a Resource Renewable?

A renewable resource is defined as a natural resource that renews itself at a rate that is faster, or equal to the rate of consumption, according to Oregon State University. Renewable resources differ from resources that once depleted never return, such as fossil fuels.

The use and cultivation of renewable resources help to minimize the impact humanity has on the Earth while supporting a growing population (Investopedia).

• Recycling renewable resources: Sometimes renewable resources and recycling can go hand-in-hand. Paper and trees, for example, can be a renewable resource when enough time is given for trees to reseed and replenish harvested forests.
• Equality of renewables: All renewable resources are not equal as Scitable by Nature Education emphasises. Each resource is renewed at different time scales. So examples of renewable resources can be broken down into three categories: sustainable or inexhaustible, naturally renewable resources, and renewable commodities. via LoveToKnow

Renewable resources are successfully competing with non-renewables on a global scale

According to the US Department of Energy, the costs of clean energy technologies like residential and utility-sized solar, land-based wind, and LED light bulbs have fallen by anywhere from 40 to 90 percent in the United States since 2008. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) declared back in 2015 that domestic energy use has “the highest renewable energy share since the 1930s when wood was a much larger contributor to domestic energy supply.”

It’s an exciting time for advocates of renewable energy resources. Bloomberg’s forward-looking analysis of how the global energy market could shift in 2018 declares:

Renewables are no longer “alternative energy.” Solar power is competitive with fossil electricity in more and more places every year—watch China, India, and Chile in 2018. Global demand for the sun reached a new high this year, and solar is that rare thing that liberals and many free-market conservatives in the U.S. can agree to love.

The practical implications of cost-competitive renewable energy are even more exciting. California academics at The Solutions Project recently found that, with the right incentives, the world could run entirely on electricity from renewable resources by the year 2050.

Among the many examples of renewable resources, solar will be one of the biggest, possibly the largest. In the United States, that means that there will be a lot of solar power:

• 25 percent of electricity would be generated by utility solar plants
• 15.4 percent of electricity would come from rooftop solar (commercial and residential)
• 7.3 percent of electricity would be generated by concentrated solar power (CSP) plants … via EnergySage

[This article was first Published on: 7 September 2014. Minor text changes and FAQs section added.]