The world is moving more and more towards the implementation of renewable energy as a main source of energy generation. This is primarily due to the concern around the protection of our ecosystems and to minimize the impact of human actions on the environment, in addition to offering multiple benefits compared to energy produced from fossil fuels. Renewable energy offers greater exploitability, it comes from different sources making it very diverse, it is inexhaustible, and above all it does not pollute.
WATER CURRENTS THAT PRODUCE CLEAN ENERGY
One of the oldest sources of renewable energy in the world is the one produced from hydroelectric plants, where water is used to generate energy through movement. Today, 50% of the world's energy comes from hydropower sources, and because it is considered one of the main sources of clean energy given that it does not emit CO2 into the atmosphere, it has high potential for development particularly in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
In this sense, in the Latin American region, Colombia is privileged as it is one of the countries with some of the largest water resources in the world, in addition to its geographical location and terrain conditions, and its abundant and constant precipitation ensuring that the water resource can be used throughout the year to produce energy. Therefore, hydro energy is an important source of energy for the country, and 65% of the energy that comes to our homes is produced using this vital resource.
In contrast to other forms of energy, hydraulic power has great advantages in addition to not polluting: it has great flexibility and storage capacity, and the technology it employs is widely tested and highly efficient.
LIGHTING THE FUTURE WITH SUN AND AIR
The concern to contribute to the reduction of the carbon footprint has made it possible for other sources of clean energy such as solar and wind to find a space within the energy park of many countries, thus advancing their development even further.
Solar energy, as its name indicates is that which comes from the Sun, an inexhaustible source because its expected lifespan exceeds 6.5 billion years. Furthermore, every hour the Sun emits more energy than Earth needs to meet the global demand for a whole year. Likewise, wind energy, which comes from the wind, has a promising future as it is equally clean and inexhaustible, and it enhances solar energy at certain times of the year in places with seasons or very cold climates.
These energy sources also offer multiple benefits in addition to being renewable, non-polluting and available throughout the world, as they contribute to generating progress and sustainable development in areas where they are implemented. This is primarily due to the fact that they give economies a certain degree of energy independence and, secondly, because they facilitate access to energy in areas isolated from the grid, thus providing opportunities for these communities to develop other economic and social activities.
In light of the above, the promotion and strengthening of renewable energy generation becomes indispensable worldwide to minimize climate change, reduce the greenhouse effect and the environmental impact. In Colombia, we are increasingly advancing the introduction of these clean energies into the country's energy system, in order to contribute to reducing the carbon footprint, and to provide communities with greater access to energy that translates into progress and wellbeing.