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Renewable energy increases diversity of energy supplies and can replace diminishing fossil fuel resources over the long run. Their use in place of fossil fuels can substantially reduce greenhouse gases and other pollutants. However, the growth in demand for renewable energy in industrialised countries is leading to economies of scale; such growth enables increased access by the developing world. While experts believe that many new markets could sustain even higher rates of renewable energy penetration, numerous barriers remain. The cost of renewable energy technologies remains high, although it continues to fall. Some forms of renewable energy are now competitive in some market conditions [1].
However, the deployment of renewable energy requires appropriate economic, market and regulatory instruments. The diffusion and deployment of newly developed renewable energy technologies into markets are particularly important. A key strategy for market acceleration is removing trade and investment barriers between countries with significant renewable resources. Global strategies for accelerating the market penetration and diffusion of renewable energies need to engage both developed and developing countries. Governments can employ a number of strategies to improve the competitiveness of renewable energy [1].
[1]:International Energy Agency http://www.iae.org
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Solar energy, radiant and heat from the Sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available renewable energy on Earth. Only a minuscule fraction of the available solar energy is used. Solar powered electrical generation relies on heat engines and photovoltaics. Solar energy's uses are limited only by human ingenuity.
A partial list of solar applications includes space heating and cooling through solar architecture, potable water via distillation and disinfection, daylighting, solar hot water, solar cooking, and high temperature process heat for industrial purposes. Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute solar energy. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to harness the energy. Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air [2].
[2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_energy
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