Renewable Energy is energy derived from natural sources that are replenished at a higher rate than consumed. There are five main energy groups: Solar, Wind, Hydro, Geothermal, and Biofuels, and since 1987 Elmeridge Cables Limited have been proudly involved with supplying cables to four out of the five main groups of energy, across many different industries.

Solar is the most abundant of all the energy resources and can even be harnessed in cloudy weather. The rate at which solar energy is intercepted by the earth is about 10,000 times great than the rate in which humankind consumes energy. Solar technologies can deliver heat, cooling, natural light, electricity, and fuels for a host of applications. Solar technologies convert sunlight into electrical energy.

Wind harnesses the kinetic energy of moving air by using large wind turbines located on land (onshore) or in the sea (offshore). Onshore and offshore wind energy technologies have evolved over the last few years to maximise the production of electricity by using taller turbines and larger rotor blades.

Geothermal utilises the accessible thermal energy from the Earth’s interior. Heat is extracted from geothermal reservoirs using wells or other means. Once at the surface, fluids of various temperatures can be used to generate electricity. The technology for electricity generation from hydrothermal reservoirs is mature and reliable and has been in operation for more than 100 years.

Hydropower harnesses the energy of water moving from higher levels to lower levels. It can be generated from reservoirs and rivers. Reservoir hydropower plants rely on stored water in a reservoir, or a dammed supply, while run-of-river hydropower plants harness energy from the available flow of water. Hydropower currently is the largest source of renewable energy in the electricity sector.

Bioenergy is produced from a variety of organic materials, called biomass, such as wood, charcoal, dung and other manures for heat and power production, and agricultural crops for liquid biofuels. Most biomass is used in rural areas for cooking, lighting, and space heating, generally by poorer populations in developing countries.