What is renewable energy?

Renewable energy flows involve natural phenomena such as sunlight, wind, tides, plant growth, and geothermal heat, as the International Energy Agency explains: 

“Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly from the sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth. Included in the definition is electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydropower, biomass, geothermal resources, and biofuels and hydrogen derived from renewable resources. “ 

Why renewable energy ?

As concerns about rising fossil fuel prices, energy security, and climate change increase, renewable energy can play a key role in producing local, clean, and inexhaustible energy to supply Lebanon’s growing demand for electricity and heat. Lebanese people are looking to resources like wind, solar, water and biomass to hedge against the price volatility of natural gas and diesel.

Renewable resources, over the long term, can provide energy at a known cost that is not susceptible to the vagaries of fossil fuel supply and demand. With some of the best renewable energy resources in the country, Lebanon has an opportunity to be a leader in their development.

The following are the reasons why renewable energy is better than fossil fuels:

1. It is renewable and does not deplete
2. It is clean and non-pollutant, unlike fossils fuels that emit dangerous hydrocarbons in the air once it is burned.
3. It can be available locally, unlike fossil fuels that are available only in some countries which has oil reserves. Thus the cost of energy is not controlled by the economic and political situation of other countries that are involve in supplying oil.
4. Once the renewable energy producing plants has been completely established and the investments had already been covered, the cost of the energy will be cheaper than the cost of fossil fuel because the sources are abundant and it is free.

RENEWABLE ENERGY IN LEBANON

Lebanon is a country with no fossil fuel. Some surveys have revealed the existence of oil deposits in the western Bekaa and sea along the coast, but whose exploitation, in the current context of the international oil market remains expensive and noncompetitive. It should be noted that Lebanon is a country almost totally electrified and electrification rate is one of the strongest in the region ( > 95%). Or renewable energy despite geographical and socio-economic environment conducive to their development, are marginal in the overall energy balance of the country. But Lebanon is geographically well placed to try with an original solar energy for sustainable development. It is a sunny country with an annual hours of sunshine of 3000 hours, an average annual solar flux of 2200 kWh / m² and a daily global sunshine of 4.8 kWh / m². Plus its geographical location on the eastern edge of Mediterranean, and his different structures as valleys, mountains and coast, make the wind significant especially in the North (Akkar) and the South.

There is no doubt that these renewables are the future for the Lebanese energetic system, "Renewable energy is essential for our GREEN LIFE".