RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES IN A NUTSHELL: PRESENT AND FUTURE

Abstract

The Kardashev’s scale of civilizations is based on the energy resources for example, a type I which draws its energy from the host planet. A type II civilization harnesses energy from its planet’s star and a type III civilization harnesses energy on the galactic scale. A type IV civilization could be added to this scale as well. It is the most sophisticated civilization, it might be able to use energy at an intergalactic scale and may have a know-how to exploit dark energy. Using this scale, our civilization is still a type-zero, it still relies mainly on fossil fuels with a mix of renewable energy sources. In spite of that, we are constantly approaching a turning point and by a century we may move to a type I civilization. Such a transition could not be fulfilled without starting up by exploiting all our planetary resources such as wind, solar, oceans, hurricanes, volcanoes etc. Here, we performed a survey of different renewable energy resources, their economic viability based on the energy returned on energy invested. The basic principal behind these clean types of energy is briefly described. Last but not least, we draw a conclusion on how it is strategic to invest on the environmentally friendly energy and what is beyond this era. An educated guess on the time frame for a full transition from using fossil fuels through renewable energy to energy sources of the future and a changeover to a type I civilization is predicted here with regard to very recent scientific breakthroughs and technological progress.